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Slavery at the University of Virginia

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Slavery at the University of Virginia On February 24, 1838, two students severely !e Gibbonses Carr’s Hill dining hall and later as bell ringer During the Civil War, the lives and duties of Acknowledgements beat Professor Bonnycastle’s ten-year-old and janitor. In the later job, he was responsible slaves changed. Some worked in the hospital Slavery at the William and Isabella Gibbons were able to !is brochure is made possible by a gift from slave Fielding. Bonnycastle unsuccessfully for cleaning the lecture rooms, library, and assisting doctors with patients. Others maintain family connections and become the U.Va. IDEA Fund and the Margaret Hulvey attempted to stop the assault. Following this chapel. In freedom after the Civil War, he continued their domestic duties to the families University of literate despite the constraints of slavery. Mr. Wright Trust. incident, Bonnycastle sought punishment of Gibbons was owned by Professor Henry rang the Rotunda bell every hour from 4 that owned them. A few were leased to work for Virginia the students from the Faculty Committee. Howard and later worked for Professor a.m. to 10 p.m. for thirty more years. Martin the Confederate Army. With the help of their Student Authors: Multiple pages of testimony were taken William H. McGuffey, author of the famous made a strong impression on generations slaves, the Minor family was able to hide their from the students involved, witnesses, McGuffey readers. Mrs. Gibbons was a of students and was remembered as a man silver and other valuables from the approaching Nicole Sune Bailey Aaron J. Ojalvo and Bonnycastle himself. Fielding was not domestic servant in the household of Professor of “intelligence, firmness and diligence.” In Union troops. Still other faculty members Mallory Combemale Ian Marshall Sander Visitor’s Guide questioned. !e University referred action Francis Smith in Pavilions V and VI. Although 2012, a plaque honoring Martin’s legacy was were concerned that their slave property would Tyler Demetriou Jason Schwarz to the local authorities but the students were their marriage had no legal standing, William laid near the Chapel. seek freedom across Union lines. Mary Stuart Arushi Kumar Julia Spong never punished. and Isabella Gibbons preserved their union Smith, owner of Isabella Gibbons, and many Philippa Mason Kate Travis and raised their children while living in slavery others were advised to sell their slaves while Alacia Nixson at the University of Virginia. they could. Reviewers: Legal restrictions and the strong opposition !e University surrendered to General Custer, Kirt von Daacke Marcus Martin of white society severely limited access to reporting to General Phillip Sheridan, on Frank Dukes Maurie McInnis education for Virginia’s slaves. William March 2, 1865. University Professor Socrates Meghan Saunders Faulkner Elizabeth Jones Gibbons learned to read by carefully Maupin and Rector T.L. Preston convinced the Alexander G. Gilliam, Jr. Ervin L. Jordan observing and listening to the white students General not to destroy U.Va. With the Civil Claudrena N. Harold Peter Onuf War ending soon after, slavery was abolished around him. His daughter Bella recalled that Brian Hogg Lucia Stanton she could not have learned to read and write, throughout the United States. Freed blacks left Phyllis K. Leffler John Wright “unless my mother taught me secretly.” After their quarters on Grounds, but many stayed Dion W. Lewis the Civil War, Isabella Gibbons became the in Charlottesville to work on construction first person of color to teach at the Jefferson !e “Mews” as it stands today in Garden III. It served as a projects at the University or as paid servants carriage house, kitchen, and slave quarters. Supporting Offices: School, a freedman’s school in Charlottesville for their former owners. !ough it would be and, after 1871, part of the public school another century before African Americans Office of African American Affairs system. She taught there for more than twenty U.Va. During the Civil War would gain full access to attend the University Office of the Vice President and Chief Officer years. In freedom, William Gibbons became a In February 1861, students raised a of Virginia, they remained present as ever. for Diversity and Equity prominent religious leader as minister at the Confederate flag over the Rotunda in the dead !omas Jefferson Foundation First Baptist Church in Charlottesville and at of night, making it the first public raising of Conclusion Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. the Confederate flag in Virginia. Following !is brochure is the result of a student-led University Guide Service Virginia’s secession that April, many students initiative to explore the existing scholarship Henry Martin and faculty left U.Va. to join the Confederate concerning slavery at U.Va. and to make the Cover Images: Henry Martin, Sally Cottrell Cole, Monticello dispersal sale showing purchase of “Patsy” by Professor Bonnycastle. Oral history tells us that Henry Martin was army. As a result, the student body shrank information available to the public. Efforts Courtesy of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections born at Monticello on July 4, 1826, the same from over six hundred in 1860 to less than fifty are underway to continue the research and Library, University of Virginia. day Thomas Jefferson died. He grew up in over the five years of the Civil War. But the discovery of U.Va.’s past and to recognize the slavery on a farm belonging to the Carr University remained open and many faculty contributions of enslaved laborers. It is our family. At age nineteen, he was leased out to served in military hospitals while military hope that in the future, we know more about Isabella Gibbons. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library work at the University, first as a waiter at the patients were housed on or near Grounds. our past. Copyright 2013, the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia and enslaved, white and black – worked to build Lewis and the Anatomical !eater slave population at the University from 1830- the Academical Village. Slaves were assigned !e Anatomical !eater, a dissection lab, was 1860. During this time, the slave population various tasks, ranging from hard manual labor once located in an area in front of Alderman on Grounds is estimated to have fluctuated to highly skilled positions like blacksmiths, Library. A slave named Lewis was assigned between 108 and 182. carpenters, and stonemasons. One of the more the responsibility of cleaning up after the strenuous tasks was terracing the lawn. In March students’ cadaver dissections and experiments In U.Va.’s early years, as many as twenty- 1819, a Board of Visitors member recorded the in this lab. Because of these duties, the five outbuildings (including Pavilion and progress blacks had made in this endeavor. One University community referred to this slave as Hotel kitchens, privies, and smokehouses) of the skilled laborers, known only as “Carpenter “Anatomical Lewis”. During his time at U.Va., occupied the gardens and rear Hotel yards. Sam”, was tasked with tinwork and carpentry !e picture above is Henry Additionally, given the increased presence Tanner’s 1826 engraving of Lewis was kept in several locations including for the construction of Pavilions V and VII. the Academical Village. On the behind Pavilion VII. Whether he left by death of slaves on Grounds, new buildings were balcony of Pavilion IX, a black or by sale is unknown. But by 1860, Lewis no constructed as work and living spaces. During the building period, local slaveholders woman stands holding a white longer appears in University records. For example, in 1828, Professor Robley child. Whether this woman was !is plaque that lies on the south side of the Rotunda recognizes leased slaves to the University to fulfill its need Dunglison requested a new building be free or enslaved, real or fictional, her presence demonstrates the the labor that went into the original construction of U.Va. for labor. Construction supervisor Arthur integral, if largely unknown, roles held by laborers during the erected in Garden X. John Gray, the first Brockenbrough agreed to pay $57.50 to early days at U.Va. Courtesy of the Albert and Shirley Small hotelkeeper of Hotel E, constructed a Special Collections Library, University of Virginia. Slavery at U.Va. Rezin Wheat for “a boy nam’d robert,” in April kitchen and washroom the following year. !e Cracker Box as it stands today to the rear of Garden X. 1821. !at year, the University paid a total of In 1849, Professor Charles Bonnycastle was Introduction $1,133.73 to slaveowners in exchange for the for enslaved labor did not. In order to fulfill granted the basements under Lawn Rooms Violence Against Slaves !e University of Virginia was officially founded labor of at least thirty-two slaves. !e leasing of institutional duties, U.Va. continued to hire 34 and 36 to board his slaves. Four years on U.Va. Grounds in 1819 when the Virginia General Assembly enslaved laborers was critical in the University’s slaves from area slaveowners. In addition to later, Mrs. John Gray made improvements Today when we read about violence against approved its charter. !omas Jefferson, the construction as was the hiring of free black building maintenance, slaves were now tasked to the 1829 structure behind Hotel E to slaves, we view it as an instance of person-on- “father of the University,” viewed it as his “last act workers. Burwell Colbert, freed in 1826 by with serving the students and faculty. increase the lodging capacity for her slaves. person violence. However, in the 19th Century, of usefulness.” Reflective of the United States in Jefferson’s will, was hired by the University to Many of the living and working conditions these incidents were viewed as person-on- the early 19th Century, slavery was an integral do painting and glazing at the Pavilions.
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