In her lifetime, she witnessed her grandsons leave the plantation that had held her family captive. For the first time, she experienced the joy of freedom through her own blood. But even that does not make her a slave. Abba you are a person who had her identity taken away, reduced to just a traceable bloodline. However, you are so much more than that. Abba, you represent far more than mere ancestry. You embody freedom. You are a connection to the past, residing in the hearts of your descendants. You are a vibrant work of art, alive and inspiring.
Bleu from “When a Trumpet Cries”
Harry
In the biography, we learned that Abba’s first son, Harry, was half-Cherokee, born on December 4, 1787 while his mother was enslaved by the Cherokee nation in South Carolina. Not much is know about Harry other than he was quiet, refused to do any work aside from helping Abba in the kitchen, and often wandered off in the spring and didn’t return to Belle Grove until the winter. There are very few death dates in Isaac’s ledger, but Harry’s death is documented as October 22, 1828.
| Discussion |
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| 1. Why do you think that Isaac allowed Harry to be so withdrawn and not perform work like the other men, women, and children that he enslaved? |
| 2. What do you think of the modern medical interpretation laid out by Mary Beth Williams, PhD? |
Frank Thornton
Frank Thornton first appears in Isaac’s ledger in 1790 after the purchase of him, Abba, their baby daughter, Hannah, and Abba’s son, Harry. Historians at Belle Grove have a collection of letters written by and to Ann Maury Hite, Isaac’s second wife. In these letters, it is clear that Frank was the family’s trusted coach driver. For example, in a letter written on June 13 1822, the very first sentence that Ann writes is, “Frank will set out in the morning for you.”
Frank and Abba lived together for over 50 years, with no family separation, which was not at all a common experience in enslaved communities. They had a total of 12 children, ten of whom survived to adulthood.
| Discussion |
|---|
| 1. Records show that Frank was retired by 1837. What do you think about him being retired but still enslaved? What do you think that looked like? How do you think he felt about it? |
| 2. What do you make of Frank, still enslaved, raising and selling chickens? |
| Did you know? |
|---|
| When historians study primary sources like letters, they’re looking for clues, like a detective, to form questions and then seek answers. Anyone referenced with a last name and/or a familiar description like “mother” or “brother” in a letter is a white friend or family member of whomever is writing the letter. However, if someone referenced in a letter is missing a last name or a familiar description, they could be an enslaved person. With clues about names, places, and responsibilities, it is possible to see patterns, even if not a lot of information about every enslaved individual is known. These patterns provide new insights into what life in the enslaved community may have been like. |
Hannah
Hannah was born in 1790, the same year that Isaac and Nelly bought her parents, Abba and Frank Thornton.
There is not enough evidence to know whether the Hites arranged enslaved couples at Belle Grove or if young people chose for themselves. However, we do know that Hannah partnered with Emanuel Jackson, a free Black man who was not a part of the enslaved community at Belle Grove. Together, they had six children, all of whom were born into enslavement: Daniel (1810), Adams (1811), Nace (1814) Emanuel (1815); Frank (1818); and Betsy Ann (1820).
In 1821, Emanuel bought his own freedom and spent the rest of his life buying the freedom of his and Hannah’s children enslaved at Belle Grove. In the end, he freed Daniel, Emanuel, Frank, and Betsy Ann. Nace died, and historians think that Adams was sold, likely during Isaac’s Sixty Slaves for Sale in 1824.
What happened to Hannah is a mystery. Historians think that she, too, was likely sold during the sale of 1824.