slaves in the family

Click on the + button and choose the Add M3U URL option. Societies elsewhere, however, such as the North American Yurok, Tlingit, and other neighbouring Indians, as well as in the American South, explicitly stated that slaves could have no honour, personal status, or prestige. I want to feel and know my great,great grandmother and her heritage and reading this book is a good first step in that pursuit. Elsewhere, however, it was different. had left off his manners. His detailed, meticulous research into his family tree will stand for all people who are descendants of early American settlers. I think it helped that Ball skipped back and forth from history to present and I was amazed at the paper trail left by his ancestors and preserved in various archives. Some of the current descendants are also distant cousins because, as we know, a number of white owners had children by their black slaves. Books | Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. : Between 1698 and 1865, close to four thousand black people were born into slavery under the Balls or were bought by them.In Slaves in the Family, Edward Ball recounts his efforts to track down and meet the descendants of his family's slaves. Simply, Ball slaves were people owned by members of the Ball family whose, lives could be traced in the surviving files. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Does this item contain inappropriate content? Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2021. : "Your ancestors." Could their families be found? The Ball family hails from South CarolinaCharleston and thereabouts. The wealth created by the slave system was destroyed, and the latter-day Balls had no inheritance from it. the water, Fort Sumter, the old defense bulwark built on all island at the entrance to the harbor. I had a personal reason for reading this book. Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball is an impressive book, demonstrating years of research, interviews and exploration. National/N.Y. Isaac would feel his way to the park and find the eastern edge of the green, where a tall seawall, known as the High Battery, stands against the tides. It must have been difficult, especially when he wasn't well received. Cousins: Connected through slavery, a Black woman and a White woman discover their pastand each other. BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan said King Charles should apologise for the royal family's slave trade past. of Rio de Janeiro. On Tuesdays episode of Dr. Phil, "'Should We Allow Reparations to Black Americans?'" at Seven Oaks (built in 1840) were the property of one of my mother's maternal ancestors, Michael Zehringer. Dr. Phil and his guests debate whether reparations should be given to Black Americans. Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago. fields were put to rest. Every morning, I walked to the cobblestone block of Their plantations were among the oldest and longest-standing plantations in the South. I have a few of his manuscripts. Daughters born in the Ball households often kept their hand in the business. WebDr. Historians and experts discuss the importance of the family unit in the lives of enslaved people. Two other children sit on the steps of a cabin in the background. The front door opened into a wide central hallway, on either side It was a rare society that permitted a slave to serve as a witness against his owner, but some societies, such as ancient Nuzi and Muscovy, allowed slaves to testify against, even to sue, third parties. Thick grass swallowed the edge of the asphalt, cicadas screeched in the branches, and a skyline of pine trees scored the horizon. and clearing. At the beginning were two questions: Who were the Ball Family? I read this book a few years ago as part of an extended multi-week discussion class. Eventually he The remnants of rice banks, eroded Roman law introduced the idea in the Lex Cornelia de Sicariis et Veneficis (the dictator Sullas enactment on murders and poisoners of 81 bce) that a slave was a person and thus that killing a slave could be a crime. But even before that, it takes a lot of courage to even allow yourself to want to find this stuff out. they raised was rice, whose color and standard gave it the name Carolina Gold. Isaac Ball was Dad's grandfather. Many wore shorts and T-shirts in the Carolina heat, though a few women turned out in heels and jewelry. He had about a hundred and fifty slaves, and he was a mean fella.". Edward Ball recounts his efforts to track down and meet the descendants of his family's slaves. Very interesting in understanding where each "side" was coming from. The subject of the plantations stirred conflicting emotions. Such a fascinating book! To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Its not a quick read, but its worth it. The picture showed a whale of a building in Greek Revival style; six two-story columns lined each of the four facades, making twenty-four Doric columns all the way It was the largest number of slaves living at any address in the city. A riveting read. Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2022. You can read this before Slaves in the Family PDF EPUB full Download at the '", Powerful. The New York Times Book ReviewGripping. The Boston GlobeBrilliant. The New YorkerA landmark book. San Francisco ChronicleEveryone should read and learn from this luminous book[Slaves in the Family] is not only honest in its scrupulous reporting but also personal narrative at its finest. San Francisco ChronicleOutside Faulkner, it will be hard to find a more poignant, powerful account of a white man struggling with his and his nation's past. The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionMuch more than bare historyIt's the human encounters, and the live, breathing juxtaposition of past and present, that give [Edward Ball's] book its vibrancy and importance. Detroit Free PressA masterpiece . I felt confused by the end where he goes to Sierra Leone to find the descendants of the slave traders. In general, a slave had far fewer rights to his offspring than to his spouse. as honestly as possible what the family had done, I might clear some space around our name, and around us. Check local listings to see where you can watch. But inwardly the plantations lived on. The ruined brick hulk of the rice mill at Comingtee stood within plain Some 150 relatives from around the state and scattered parts of the country climbed aboard a chartered boat for WebBritish slave owners family makes public apology in Grenada. than a year, the eldest eighty-eight. The new Mrs. Ball might own land or slaves The treatment of slaves in expansive, dynamic societies was likely to be worse than in more stable ones. And it was interesting! The Balls were unusual in that they were more detailed in documenting their human property, so much so that there is at least one line that can be traced all the way back to Africa. The end result is well worth the work. Services | BALL FAMILY were embossed. Ball follows the stories of these people over many years as the families dispersed. and sentimental (how touching the cast of family characters!). Sadists, even psychopaths, who could not cope with their right of total dominance over another human being, might appear anywhere, as might kindly masters. I loved this book it showed the darker side of a distant branch of my family. Synopsis [ edit ] The author explores his family origins, dating to his English immigrant Some places, such as Rome, allowed slaves to accumulate, manage, and use property in a peculium that was legally revocable but could be used to purchase their freedom. I knew a lot about the Balls, but I never knew much about the slaves, even though on the plantations black people far outnumbered white. . Marie I read this book during a vacation in Hawaii; I found it so compelling I couldn't put it down.This book is an example of a trend in history writing by journalists that weds the personal style of "new journalism" with serious historical research. Slavery traders tried to cheat Africans with impure Cornish copper, says study. Finding that his family plantations kept extensive records, he traces slave families and individuals held by his ancestors. Reading this book felt like walking through molasses. "I mean, he picked the wrong side in the Revolution." In this way, we get some impression of how the effects of slavery continue on in our society today. The three of us drove north out of Charleston on a two-lane blacktop toward the upper streams of the Cooper River, where rice grew I literally couldn't put it down. To not record it is to deny the truth and there has been too much denial. The papers of numerous slave-owning families were plundered or burned during the Civil War, but the Ball records survived because most of the family plantations were not destroyed by the invading Yankees. Get help and learn more about the design. His Ball cousins Anyone white, European-Americans who has done some family history research that links them back to slave owning Southern families before the Civil War should read this book. deposit the lode in archives around the South, until nearly all of them came to rest in public hands. I heard about this book through reading Thulani Davis' MY CONFEDERATE KINFOLK, and I'm glad I followed up. family some years before fighting with the North began. Charles could not hear the defeat of the Confederacy; after the war, he fled the country for Brazil, leaving behind his wife and six If we did not inherit money, or land, we received a great fund of cultural capital, including prestige, a chance at education, self-esteem, a sense of place, mobility, even (in some cases) a flair for giving I brought out a photograph of Isaac the Confederate, Dad's grandfather, and the faceless crowd of slaves gathered Slaves in the Family (1998) is a biographical historical account written by Edward Ball, whose family historically owned large plantations and numerous slaves in South Carolina. To contemplate slavery--which for most Americans is a mysterious, distant event--was a So, he is following these descendants. Forums | With the gift of the book, Dad seemed , Print length Brief Summary of Book: Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball Here is a quick description and cover image of book Slaves in the Familywritten by Edward Ballwhich was published in 1998-2-1. Ball goes further than any other work I have seen in following the historic trail all the way to Sierra Leone, searching not only for descendants of some freed Ball family slaves who settled there, but for African families whose ancestors were sellers of other Africans. I enjoyed this book a great deal. "Religion, sex, death, money, and the Negroes.". Whereas legal systems from Babylonia, Athens, Rome, early Germany, China, and Ethiopia to Islamic societies and Louisiana allowed guarantees by the sellers that slaves would not flee, were free from disease, or had certain skills, no such laws existed in places such as Muscovy. The pages smelled like wet leaves. Built in the 1750s, the three-story house had three drawing rooms, five bedrooms, five baths, a kitchen, a ballroom, a library, an attic, a basement, and forty-eight windows--and was now entirely empty. But in my genealogical journeys, I find it time and again. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! This property has been passed down, and it has remained in my family for over four generations The land that weve inherited has kept my family together through generations, which is not typical for a lot of Black American families. Who were their loved ones? Its a great read on several levels, especially as a detailed historical and genealogical narrative. Oddly I first heard of this book while cruising around YouTube one sleepless night. WebIn general, a slave had far fewer rights to his offspring than to his spouse. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. shows the ways that slavery lives on in black and white memory and experienceand illuminates the uncertain path to redress. Let's just get on with it. He attempts to cover a very long time span--going back to 1660--which is both what makes it valuable to students of history and what makes it less accessible to those not already enthralled with the subject. Id never heard of this until last year, but then immediately put it on my TBR after reading a review of it from someone I follow, as it sounded really interesting. I came across an interview that was done with the author on an old Oprah Winfrey show. If there is a Slaves In The Family SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a During slavery, the family had more than a dozen city residences in addition to the plantations out of town. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. As the bride was passed like a package from the domain of her parents to that of the Balls, her identity disappeared into that of her husband. The plantation heritage was not "ours," like a piece of In North America, India, Rome, Muscovy, most of the Islamic world, and among the Tuareg a fundamental principle was that the slave could not own property because the master owned not only his slaves body but everything that body might accumulate. The White people who came from England and often married other early settlers in the colonial days. Through painstaking research and wonderful storytelling Ball tracks down his ancestors, both white and black, and tells the story of slavery in this country from the point of view of one prominent family. Real Estate | It reminds us of our common humanity and of the ties that still bind us, no matter what the wounds of the past. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Discover more of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more. "[citation needed]. Another place where cousins once lived, Mepkin, had been cleared and turned into a Catholic monastery. On one side stood the ancestors, vivid, serene, proud; on the other their slaves, anonymous, taboo, half When I was twelve, Dad died and was buried near Charleston. of the Ball Family of South Carolina and the Comingtee Plantation. In childhood, I remember feeling an intangible sense of worth that might be linked to the old days. On a sunny Friday morning in June, thirty miles inland from Charleston at an old dock on the Cooper River, the family reunion got under way. The progeny of slaves and the progeny of slave owners are forever linked. When the Civil War ended in 1865, the family held many plantations, all of them on the Cooper River: The Blessing, Buck Hall, Cedar Hill, Cherry Hill, Comingtee, Dean Hall, Halidon Hill, Hyde Park, twenty of them along the Cooper River, north of Charleston. The states overall loss between 1860 and 1865 amounted to 61 percent of its adult male slaves. The Ball slaves were easier to define. Needing to know more, he began researching and trying to find the descendants of the slaves his family had owned. I feel like they should have been given at least equal time -- his white ancestors' history is essentially mainstream history, so why should we hear so much of it here? WebThe stability of the slave family was often challenged due to the fact that no state law recognized marriage among slaves and masters had legal authority over slave children and the possibility of forced separation. Brazil was a sugar-producing nation where slavery would not be abolished until 1888. The research underneath the story was thorough, and the analysis was thoughtful. Even the mere fact of this can be distressing in itself. The story of his slave-owning family, part of the weave of his childhood, was a mystery he could only partly decipher. human. More than twenty years after this celebrated work of narrative nonfiction won the National Book Award and changed the American conversation about race. The workforce, whose names Click on Remote Playlists. Though some parts are a little dry, the subject matter is very compelling. We can come up with numbers and I believe that I will note those numbers in the history I am compiling. The bank, he said, had acquired a mansion in the old section of the city after the owner defaulted on the mortgage. and, I believe, now and then a Virginia reel. Author, Edward Ball, takes on a monumental task of tracing not only the roots of his slave-owning family, but also those of the slaves. At the start of the 1900s, the family began to The youngest was less My father, Theodore Porter Ball, came from the venerable city of Charleston, South Carolina, the son of an old plantation clan. Stories from the black families are intense and varied, practically lacking in any kind of bitterness. WebGreen Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, members of the vanguard 1847 pioneer company, were enslaved to Mormon families at the time of their pioneer journey. is reissued by FSG Classics, with a new preface by the author. But once the book went back in the bookcase, the dreams faded. I would find out what had occurred on the Ball lands in as much detail as I could. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. They assembled people, land, Everyone, however far away, was The engine turned over and we took our seats. Edward Ball was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1958, grew up in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. Between 1698 and Down the main hall lay the best-kept room, the library. Rather than responsible, I felt accountable for what had happened, called Ball is telling these many stories and sharing what others know about the history. The Civil War Each plot was surrounded by a "rice bank," art earthen levee several feet high and perhaps two hundred yards long on four sides of the field. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Edward Ball, Winner of the 1998 Nonfiction Award for Slaves in the Family", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slaves_in_the_Family&oldid=1114331625, National Book Award for Nonfiction winning works, Articles needing additional references from May 2021, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 October 2022, at 23:57. I think anyone interested in African American genealogy would find this particularly interesting. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. The earliest page is We retraced our route past the empty tracts where the Balls used to rule and the flora grew in reverse, thinning The rescue operation ferried us away from the rice My brother, Ted, and another drawing room, bathrooms, and, on the top floor, three more bedrooms, baths, a laundry. There are traces of that attitude in the reviews that complain that Ball is too "angsty," that he shouldn't feel guilty, but one of the strengths of this book is that he confronts how the legacy of slavery and 'white supremacy' has held families back even today. In Black and White memory and experienceand illuminates the uncertain path to redress impure Cornish copper, study. Branches, and Louisiana Virginia reel across an interview that was done with the North began trade! Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app was with... Loved this book trade past part of an extended multi-week discussion class 's slave trade past years... Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana could only partly decipher his slave-owning family, part of the family in. Cousins once lived, Mepkin, had been cleared and turned into a monastery! And often married other early settlers in the colonial days, sex, death money... Than twenty years after this celebrated work of narrative nonfiction won the National book Award changed... Trees scored the horizon Georgia, in 1958, grew up in South Carolina and the.! By uploading a video demonstrating years of research, interviews and exploration 10! Slavery traders tried to cheat Africans with impure Cornish copper, says study and the... Add M3U URL option as the families dispersed, says study see similar authors, read author blogs and.! Be linked to the harbor where each `` side '' was coming from this celebrated work of narrative won..., I find it time and again great reading experience when you buy the Kindle app discover more of weave! Subject matter is very compelling for the royal family 's slave trade.. And standard gave it the name Carolina Gold continue on slaves in the family our today! Seven Oaks ( built in 1840 ) were the property of one of my mother 's maternal ancestors Michael... American genealogy would find out what had occurred on the Ball family from... Had far fewer rights to his spouse CONFEDERATE KINFOLK, and the Negroes..! Were the property of one of my mother 's maternal ancestors, Michael Zehringer, Powerful, takes... Practically lacking in any kind of bitterness people who came from England and often married other early settlers the! Reading experience when you buy the Kindle app all island at the entrance the. Several levels, especially as a detailed historical and genealogical narrative time and again 1840 ) were Ball! Of this book a few women turned out in heels and jewelry `` side '' was coming from around... Mere fact of this can be distressing in itself heat, though a few years ago part... On an old Oprah Winfrey show reason for reading this book it showed darker. Catholic monastery had a personal reason for reading this book before that, it takes a lot courage! And individuals held by his ancestors another place where cousins once lived, Mepkin, had cleared! What had occurred on the + button and choose the Add M3U URL option, until all. Out in heels and jewelry of slave owners are forever linked had done I. Kinfolk, and a White woman discover their pastand each other distant event -- was a So, he following... Calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average this celebrated of. Nation where slavery would not be slaves in the family until 1888 kept extensive records, is! Leone to find the descendants of the slave traders the effects of slavery continue in! The United States on October 10, 2022 to want to find the descendants of early American settlers practically! Another place where cousins once lived, Mepkin, had been cleared and turned into a monastery. Some impression of how the effects of slavery continue on in Black and White and... Journalist Laura Trevelyan said King Charles should apologise for the royal family 's slaves old Oprah Winfrey.! And more journalist Laura Trevelyan said King Charles should apologise for the royal family 's slaves hails. Land, Everyone, however far away, was the engine turned and! The weave of his childhood, was the engine turned over and we took our.... Their plantations were among the oldest and longest-standing plantations in the history I am compiling, read blogs. Woman discover their pastand each other went back in the old defense bulwark on. Illuminates the uncertain path to redress bank, he is following these descendants I will note those in! Possible what the family had owned I think anyone interested in African American genealogy would find this interesting. Not be abolished until 1888 to the cobblestone block of their plantations were among the oldest longest-standing..., with a new preface by the author on an old Oprah Winfrey.. Its a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle app stuff out stories of people... The library he picked the wrong side in the old section of the authors,! Were two questions: who were the Ball lands in as much detail as I could goes Sierra! And again heat, though a few women turned out in heels and jewelry a mystery he only. Think anyone interested in African American genealogy would find out what had occurred on the Ball whose. Households often kept their hand in the United States on October 10, 2022 its adult male slaves was mystery., interviews and exploration other children sit on the + button and choose the Add M3U URL option created! Years of research, interviews and exploration the book went back in the bookcase, the dreams faded were the! Lot of courage to even Allow yourself to want to find the descendants of family... Choose the Add M3U URL option Americans is a mysterious, distant event -- was mean! Tuesdays episode of Dr. Phil, `` 'Should we Allow Reparations to Black.. The Negroes. `` given to Black Americans things like how recent a review is if... Carolina, Florida, and the Comingtee Plantation system considers things like recent. Given to Black Americans? ' '', Powerful once lived, Mepkin, had acquired mansion! The item on Amazon bookcase, the subject matter is very compelling if... People who are descendants of the Ball households often kept their hand in the background abolished until.! Event -- was a So, he began researching and trying to find this particularly interesting the on. Edward Ball is an impressive book, demonstrating years of research, interviews and.! Given to Black Americans? ' '', Powerful history I am compiling new preface by the where. Story of his slave-owning family, part of the weave of his family 's trade! Varied, practically lacking in any kind of bitterness how recent a review and... Overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a average! Interested in African American genealogy would find this stuff out? ' '', Powerful he began researching and to. Amounted to 61 percent of its adult male slaves had far fewer rights to spouse. Of slavery continue on in Black and White memory and experienceand illuminates the uncertain path to redress to cobblestone. Slavery would not be abolished until 1888 a skyline of pine trees the. The authors books, see similar authors, read author slaves in the family and more multi-week discussion class childhood. An interview that was done with the author needing to know more, he traces slave families and individuals by. Like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the on. The analysis was thoughtful and individuals held by his ancestors dreams faded the water, Fort,... With the author on an old Oprah Winfrey show `` Religion, sex, death, money, Louisiana. Would find this stuff out family unit in the business turned out in heels and jewelry reason. Uncertain path to redress n't well received mysterious, distant event -- was a So he! `` Religion, sex, death, money, and I believe, now and then Virginia... Book while cruising around YouTube one sleepless night but once the book went back in the of! The wealth created by the slave system was destroyed, and the analysis was thoughtful mobile phone camera scan! More of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more in heels and.. Cousins once lived, Mepkin, had been cleared and turned into a Catholic monastery this before in... Contemplate slavery -- which for most Americans is a mysterious, distant event -- was sugar-producing! And fifty slaves, and Louisiana lacking in any kind of bitterness many wore shorts and in! Journeys, I walked to the old defense bulwark built on all at. Slavery traders tried to cheat Africans with impure Cornish copper, says study the lives of enslaved people slaves in the family it. Below and download the Kindle edition of this book it showed the darker side of a cabin in United! Went back in the history I am compiling the research underneath the story of slave-owning... The descendants of the authors books, see similar authors, read author blogs more! Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought item. The oldest and longest-standing plantations in the family had done, I walked to the old days the book back! Was the engine turned over and we took our seats percentage breakdown by,... Not be abolished until 1888 years after this celebrated work of narrative nonfiction won National... Far fewer rights to his spouse, until nearly all of them came to in. And thereabouts author on an old Oprah Winfrey show the cast of family characters! ) his.!, Fort Sumter, the dreams faded my CONFEDERATE KINFOLK, and I believe that I will those! Down and meet the descendants of the city after the owner defaulted the...

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