John Randolph
One of the Largest Known Manumitters in Virginia
John Randolph of Roanoke, a central figure in the Southern United States during the late 1700s and into the Civil War, belonged to one of the most influential families in the region. He wielded considerable political power, serving in the Virginia Assembly and managing his family’s extensive Tidewater plantations.
Despite his significant wealth, which included over 8,000 acres of land and 400 slaves, John Randolph held reservations about the morality of slavery throughout his life. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he recognized the value of educating his slaves and treated them more humanely. He personally taught some of them to read and write and assigned land to different groups of slaves, an unusual practice for the time.
However, economic considerations forced him to accept slavery as a reality, though he continued to speak out against its injustices. John Randolph never married and grappled with health issues and opium addiction, which contributed to perceptions of his eccentricity. Upon his death in 1833, three wills were discovered, each granting freedom to all his 400 slaves. His will of 1821 made his intent clear, expressing regret for having been a slave owner and providing $30,000 for their journey to Ohio and resettlement.
Despite the anti-slavery sentiment in his will, Ohio in the 1840s was far from welcoming to people of color, with restrictive laws and discrimination. Nevertheless, 383 former Randolph slaves left Virginia in 1846, heading for freedom. They carried a certificate of freedom and began a challenging journey to Ohio, some as young as infants and others well into their elder years.
Arriving in Cincinnati, they embarked on boats along the Miami Erie Canal towards Mercer County. However, their journey was cut short when they were met by armed white settlers in New Bremen. These settlers, through a series of resolutions, expressed strong opposition to their presence, reflecting prevailing racial prejudices of the time.
The group faced resistance but also encountered welcoming people in Sidney, Ohio, where some were allowed to stay, while others continued their journey to Piqua, Troy, and Xenia. Some of the former slaves acquired trade skills, and one of them, Shadrach White, became a well-known figure in Sidney.
The story took a turn when Joseph Plunkett, appointed by Judge Leigh to look after the former slaves’ Mercer County lands, began selling the land to local residents and renting out the former slaves for labor. The former slaves and their descendants later gathered for reunions and even pursued legal action to recover the money they believed was rightfully theirs, but their efforts were thwarted by legal hurdles.
Despite the challenges they faced, many descendants of the Randolph slaves, such as Jim Humphrey, who became Sidney’s first black mayor, made significant contributions to their communities. Their stories serve as a testament to resilience and the ongoing struggle for equality and justice, highlighting the rich tapestry of experiences that define American history.
