There
are no records of the slaves brought to Monroe County in the
early settlements but they increased in approximately the
same ratio as their white masters. In the 1840 census, the
first after Monroe County was organized, there were 1687
slaves, making up one-sixth of the population.
In
1850 the number had increased to 2048 out of a population of
10,541 and in 1860, the last census before they were freed,
3021 slaves were listed in a total population of 14,785.
Slave
trading was not much practiced in Monroe County. The slaves
were brought with the settlers and as a rule remained on the
farms of their masters until they died. A very strong young
negro slave would be valued as high as $3000. Slaves were
not sold to neighbors or friends, or even to strangers, to
any great extent by the pioneer slave owners. There were no
public auctions such as were held at Hannibal, and in most
towns throughout the South few, if any heart-rending scenes
of mothers parted forever from children, of fathers snatched
away from families, or of mulatto or octoroon girls sold to
white masters as was the practice in the South. There was
little, if any, of the “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” atmosphere
about the slaves in Monroe County.
The
slaves generally were docile, obedient and faithful; they
called their masters “Marse Henry” or “Marse John.”
In some instances after the war they stayed on with their
masters in the capacity of general factotum or servant.
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