The forced-labor farms of Leon County were numerous and vast. Leon County, Florida, was a hub of cotton production. From the 1820s through 1850s Leon County's fertile red clay soils and long growing season attracted cotton planters from Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, among other states as well as countries abroad.

Enslaved workers in Leon County For some time before the early stages of the Civil War Leon County was the fifth-largest producer of cotton in Georgia and Florida. Another source states that Leon County led the state in cotton production. Because of this, in 1840, there were only 654 adult white males, but 3980 people "engaged in agriculture". In 1860, 73% of the population of Leon County consisted of enslaved black persons;Rivers, p. 237. as was true elsewhere in the South,David Brion Davis, Inhuman Bondage. The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World, Oxford University Press, 2006, , p. 298. the value of those enslaved persons far exceeded the value of all the land in the county.Rivers, p. 243. Leon County had more enslaved people than any other county in Florida,Julia Floyd Smith, Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida 1821-1860, Gainesville, University of Florida Press, 1973, , Appendix B, "Excerpts from County Tax Books in Florida Showing Ownership in Acreage and Slaves", pp. 213-222. and it was, therefore, the wealthiest county in Florida.Smith, p. 140. It was also the center of Florida's slave trade.

Forced-labor farms in 1860 Note: Value = plantation value in United States dollars. TA = total area. IA = improved area. UA = unimproved area. Corn = in bushels. Cotton = bales of cotton + Leon County Plantations 1860 Enslaver Value TA (acre) IA UA Enslaved people Corn CottonNotes William Alderman $5000 500 acres (2 km2) 36 3000 75 Silas D. Allen $2000 250 acres (1 km2) 22 1000 180Jesse Averett, Sr. N/A 60 2500 80 William Bailey $42,670 75 4000 352 Bannerman $14,475 67 4000 120 Barrow Hill $10,000 71 3200 204 S. A. Belton $12,000 N/A N/A 500 N/A Bellevue Plantation $10,000 24 N/A N/A Betton Hill $00,000 0000 0000 00 0000 000 000 Blakely $9000 500 acres (2 km2) 400 N/A 3000 40 William D. Bloxham $7000 52 2500 100 J. R. Bradford $1300 N/A N/A 1500 75 Burgesstown $22,000 274 1300 825 William H. Branch $13,375 500 acres (2 km2) 57 3000 120 William A. Carr $31,000 2000 acres (8 km2) 1000 acres (4 km2) 77 5000 260 Casa de Laga $15,000 70 3000 200 Josesph Chaires $50,000 130 5000 200 Chemonie $18,400 1000 acres (4 km2) 64 5000 200 J. B. Christie $12,000 37 1500 80 Charles Cole $7680 N/A 30 1500 85 Henry Copeland $10,000 N/A 55 3000 81 John A. Craig $20,000 44 3500 150 William P. Craig $13,000 38 1000 62 Alex Cromartie $12,600 53 4000 90 John Cromartie $5760 500 acres (2 km2) 52 1500 37 J. Q. Cromartie $13,000 40 3000 50

+ Leon County Plantations 1860 (Continued) Enslaver Value TA IA UA Enslaved people Corn CottonNotes Edgewood N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A El Destino (partly in Jefferson County) $17,000 (1832) Evergreen Hills $53,600 135 6000 350 Francis Eppes $24,000 70 3000 70 A. A. Fisher N/A 46 3000 105 R. N. Fisher $11,800 500 acres (2 km2) 45 3000 100 Dr. George Galphin $12,500 500 acres (2 km2) 50 1300 75 C. B. Gamble $10,000 N/A N/A 2500 60 William Germany $20,000 1000 acres (4 km2) 40 1500 47 Goodwood $33,640 58 2500 150 William A. Harvin $11,500 N/A 36 3000 91 Alex B. Hawkins $38,700 2000 acres (8 km2) 51 1800 93 Richard Hayward $62,680 N/A 51 2000 150 Griffin W. Holland $30,000 95 7000 225Horseshoe Plantation See (Pine Hill) House Place $16,600 47 3000 216 Edward Houstoun $25,000 N/A 78 3500 180 Ingleside $25,000 1500 acres (6 km2) 116 7000 181 James A. Kirksey $33,000 180 6000 454 La Grange $55,200 1000 acres (4 km2) 232 N/A N/A T. B. Lamar $1500 750 acres (3 km2) 41 2000 100 Thomas J. Laversage $8000 48 2000 70 Live Oak $4000 68 2000 73 Ellen C. Long $13,000 N/A 500 acres (2 km2) 52 1800 120 Daniel B. Meginniss $40,000 70 3000 150 John Miller $35,000 80 5000 180

+ Leon County Plantations 1860 (Continued) Labor Camp Value TA IA UA Enslaved People Corn CottonNotes Miccosukee $35,000 80 5000 180 John C. Montford $800 500 acres (2 km2) 35 2000 41 Mossview $20,000 80 2000 80 William S. Murray $8000 33 2500 45 Oaklawn $26,720 20 5000 300 Orchard Pond $31,000 118 4500 167 M. D. Papy $9000 500 acres (2 km2) 43 3000 54 William Perkins $15,300 42 2500 93 Julian S. Pettes $3000 N/A N/A 3000 75 Pine Hill $28,000 1500 acres (6 km2) 130 4000 225 Ponder $48,000 5000 acres (20 km2) 99 8500 206 L. S. Raines $10,000 1000 acres (4 km2) 500 acres (2 km2) 43 1500 75 Thomas Randall $40,000 N/A 38 2500 75 W. F. Robertson $12,000 30 2000 100 J. A. J. Roney $27,000 N/A 77 6000 198 G. W. Scott $4000 N/A N/A N/A R. G. Shepard $24,000 90 1000 225 Solomon Sills $5000 N/A 26 97 1800 Smithwick $10,000 250 acres (1 km2) N/A 80 1500 Southwood N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Daniel Switzer $6000 N/A N/A N/A Tuscawilla $36,000 3000 acres (12 km2) 1500 acres (6 km2) 1500 acres (6 km2) 172 3000 200 Verdura $20,000 2500 acres (10 km2) 1000 acres (4 km2) 1500 acres (6 km2) 63 2500 160 Walnut Hill $12,000 65 2500 80 Water Oak $18,400 65 2500 130 Waverly $00,000 0000 000 000 000 000 000 J. E. Whitaker N/A 94 2000 157 Robert W. Williams $8000 N/A 2000 100 T. B. Winn $13,920 N/A 3000 81 Woodlawn N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/ANote: Value = Plantation Value. IA = Improved Acres. UA = Unimproved Acres. Enslaved People = Number of persons enslaved. Machinery = Worth of machinery. Livestock = Worth of livestock.

+ Leon County Smaller Farms 1860 Enslaver Value IA UA Enslaved People Machinery LivestockNotes E. P. Johnson $1410 N/A $10 $260 William Johnson $1410 N/A $10 $260 E. S. McCollum $1000 N/A $125 $880 Jackson Moody $500 N/A $20 $300 S. W. Sweatman $1440 N/A $100 $550

See also

List of plantations in the United States Slavery in the United States

References

Further reading