They Were Her Property

[Library Lady]

This book was eye-opening to me because I had bought into the "conventional wisdom" that elite white Southern women weren't aware of the nitty gritty of slavery and didn't dirty their hands with it. I also believed that because of coverture married women didn't really own anything. The author convinced me of how wrong I was on both points. She carefully portrays these women as being capable of being financially savvy and of being quite aware of management techniques for their property. Yes, coverture existed, but there were ways around it that provided these women with financial resources and protection. For example, did you know that pre-nups aren't strictly a modern thing for the rich and famous? Elite white women could, and did, get prospective husbands to sign them which gave the women the exclusive use and control of property they brought into the marriage. While men were usually gifted with and/or inherited land, women usually received slaves. Female slaves were highly prized because they could give birth to additional "property" and could also be rented out as wet nurses for extra cash. Emancipation was thus a serious financial blow to these women.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

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