Letter to John C. Bullitt and Joshua Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt considering slave uprisings, May 19th, 1840.

Letter to John C. Bullitt and Joshua Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt considering slave uprisings, May 19th, 1840.

A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her sons Joshua and John (Danville), dated May 19th, 1840. She writes concerning recent slave rebellions and resistance efforts. She writes, "It has been said the next fire was to be at Old Bullitt's." She gives a lengthy description of the enslaved people who started the fire and their trials in court. Then she discusses a meeting held with 50 farmers and she writes "they resolved to try and bring about a better state of subordination here." Mildred writes that she believes getting a missionary to set up a church and preach to enslaved people is the best way to bring about subordination and that even Mr. Humphrey and Mr. Page offered to preach to them. Mildred writes "Mr. Page says he has seen slavery in many places, but never has he witnessed anything like the insubordination which exists in this county and Louisville." She then tells the boys about two Black men that were acquitted of killing a white man because they were all drunk. The list of enslaved people Mildred Ann Bullitt describes is as follows: Louisa, Nelson (owned by Mr. Kenedy), Jack (owned by Mr. Hike), Billy, Frank, Amy, John, Sam, Jim (whipped at "Alberts," Jim is Jack's brother), Tyler, Harry (owned by Mr. Brown), and Simon.

Mildred Ann Bullitt

Manuscript Collection, Bullitt Family Papers, The Filson Historical Society

The Filson Historical Society, Special Collections

1840-05-19

Johansen, Emma

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