Highland Plantation, Albemarle County, Virginia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Albemarle, Virginia, United States
Surnames/tags: Monroe Black_Heritage Slavery

Plantations Index

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Slavery 1.2 From the Albemarle County Deed Book, (25:143) 1.3 From Thomas Jefferson's Day Book 1.4 1831 2 Sources

Introduction

Highland Plantation was purchased in 1793 by James Monroe. The deed was for 1000 acres of land adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello Plantation. He and his family permanently settled on the property in 1799 and lived at Highland for twenty-five years. Personal debt forced Monroe to sell the plantation in 1825. Before and after selling Highland, Monroe was living at the plantation house at Oak Hill Plantation, Loudoun, Virginia near Leesburg, Virginia. After Monroe's death until 2016, the house was known as Ash Lawn-Highland or merely Ash Lawn. The estate is now owned, operated and maintained by Monroe's alma mater, the College of William & Mary.

In 1774, Monroe inherited land and enslaved people from the estate of his father. This turn of events compelled James to look after his siblings until his uncle, Joseph Jones, became a paternal surrogate for the Monroe children. Jones encouraged Monroe to attend the College of William & Mary, which he did until he enlisted in the Continental Army’s Third Virginia Infantry Regiment. Monroe increasingly turned to selling his land to pay for debt. By 1825, he was forced to sell Highland completely.^[1][2]

Slavery

Slavery was central to the operation of Highland. Enslaved women, men, and children lived on the property between 1799 and 1865. From historical records ^[3]178 individuals were enslaved by Monroe during his adulthood. He freed only one: Peter Marks^[4], who was manumitted in a request Monroe made during the last days of his life.

From the Albemarle County Deed Book, (25:143)

Jesse

Charles

Nelson, a Blacksmith, all young men and brothers

William, a Carpenter (possibly Billy)^[5]

Joe (Dudley?) and

Eve (later Eve McGuire), his wife, and their four children (In the Highland slave biographies, Eve's husband is Dudley and is mentioned by Monroe in the Albemarle County Deed Book (26:147) on September 20, 1826 regarding the mortgage of Limestone).^[6]

Armstead and

Zachariah both young men

Solomon and

Nancy, his wife

Ned and

Peggy, his wife

Toby and Betsey his wife, with their three children (later 4 more were added). Later they are known as having the last name of Sanders.

Sanders Family Betsey Sanders was born enslaved around 1794. She was the wife of Toby, mother to Augustus, Garrett, Jim, Sally, Judy, Kitty, Thomas, Peachy, Ceasar, Rosetta, and unknown^[7] Betsy was sold with her husband Toby and seven children in 1828 from Highland to Joseph Mills White, owner of Casa Bianca Plantation Jefferson County Florida^[8]. As many as six more children were born to Toby and Betsy at Casa Bianca. After emancipation, their descendants took the last name Sanders. The enslaved sent to Florida served in various ways at Casa Bianca: as field hands, as enslaved domestics, and, in the case of Garrettt Sanders, as a skilled enslaved blacksmith. (Original document of the sale can be found in Albemarle County Deed Book (25:143)

April 5, 1825 - “Have granted bargained and sold aliened released and confirmed and by these presents do grant bargain and sell alien release and confirm into the said John Hooff and his heirs a tract of land in the County of Albemarle and the State of Virginia about three miles below Mill on and about one mile from the Rivanna a branch of the James River consisting of seven hundred and eight acres divided into two farms, with a good framed Dwelling house and other improvements on each. Also the following negro slaves, Jesse, Charles, Nelson a Blacksmith, all young men and brothers, William a Carpenter, Joe and Eve his wife and their four children, Armstead and Zachariah both young men, Toby and Betsy his wife with their three children, Solomon and Nancy his wife, Ned & Peggy his wife.”

It took three years for the sale to be completed and at some point the enslaved were mortgaged to the bank before the final sale to Colonel White was complete.

James Monroe to James Madison “OAK HILL March 28th. 1828. "I send you a copy of my memoir, which has been reprinted in a pamphlet, under the direction of my friends in Albemarle. I have sold my slaves in that county, to Col: White of Florida, who will take them in families, to that territory. He gives me for them, (with the exception of a few sold there) five thousand dolrs., which are paid, by obtaining for me, a release in that amount, from J. J. Astor, for a loan obtain’d of him in the late war, offerd by himself, on hearing that I was pressd for money—” Courtesy of Founders Online: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/99-02-02-1351

From Thomas Jefferson's Day Book

Thomas Jefferson Sold:

• Thenia Hemings and her 5 daughters:
  • Betsy Hemmings
  • Lucy Hemmings
  • Mary Hemmings
  • Susan Hemmings
  • Sally Hemmings

to James Monroe on 19 September 1794.^[9]

1831

Antoinetta (Hay) Ringgold sold all of Ashfields (remaining) slaves for $1,400 in 1831^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ James Monroe's Highland: https://highland.org
2. ↑ Forgotten History: http://forgottenhistory.us/index.php/node/1343
3. ↑ https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-enslaved-households-of-president-james-monroe
4. ↑ https://highland.org/enslaved-biographies/peter-marks/
5. ↑ https://highland.org/enslaved-biographies/billy/
6. ↑ https://highland.org/enslaved-biographies/eve/
7. ↑ https://highland.org/enslaved-biographies/betsy/
8. ↑ https://encyclopediavirginia.org/cas-bianca/
9. ↑ https://www.leesburgva.gov/home/showdocument?id=8851
10. ↑ William and Mary: Monroe-Hay family papers, 2003.09. Folder 15