My family owned slaves.
Clearly there are many Americans for whom this is a reality. What I know is that, in his will, Thomas Gillespie
BORN: ca. 1719
MARR: ca. 1745 Augusta Co Virginia
DIED: 15 Dec 1796 Rowan Co North Carolina
owned and bequeathed five slaves to his children. To his wife, he gave the women, Liza and Fan. To his son, Alexander Gillespie, he gave a boy, Peter and a woman, Violet. To his son, Robert Gillespie, he gave the man, Dick and the woman, Phoebe.
You can see the will here:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dmorgan/thomasg.txt
My father's mother's mother was Lula Gillespie (1883-1969) and the lines goes:
Lula
-> Francis Marion Gillespie (1843-1900) -> John Morgan Gillespie
(1811-1881) -> George Gillespie (1811-1881)->George Gillespie
(1751-1818)->Thomas Gillespie (1719-1797).
I just found this document on the web today.
The Gillespie family can also claim the Gillespie Rifle which was said to be the rifle that "won the west" which may be accurately translated as the rifle that committed genocide of native Americans. Additionally, a more distant relative, Major Archibald H. Gillespie, was an officer in the Mexican American war sent by President Polk, also a relative (twice removed), to California in 1845 to explore the potential of annexing California.
So, all of this is me...
I'm not sure how to deal with it...
If I have learned anything in the last few months it's to take heart in the progress that has been achieved and to focus on keeping it moving in the right direction. As these generations of our family have continued through the years, the migrations and marriages have, over time, produced descendants who are living lives antithetical to the values that allowed slavery to exist. Look at what you do for a career, do you think that was an accident? And look at your kids and the amazing things they are going to accomplish. Look at the community you were drawn to, where you make your home.
Don't know if you have heard the stories yet about Barak Obama's family. They believe that on his mother's caucasian side, there was a history of slave ownership.
There's also a new documentary out called Meeting David Wilson" where a young african american man sought out the descendants of the family that owned his. Their conversations, and their realizations are really interesting. MSNBC hosed their dialogue on April 11.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23780855/
Maybe there is a way to learn more about Liza, Fan, Peter and their descendants. The MSNBC site gives some African American geneaology links.
http://boomers.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=384624
Posted by: Martha | April 12, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Martha,
Thanks for the comments and for the links. The idea of trying to find out more about these people is a good one.
Posted by: Conches | April 20, 2008 at 06:59 PM
What does it matter? Did YOU own the slaves? Feeling guilty over what happened decades ago is exactly how blacks want you to feel so as to keep up the entitlements.
Posted by: bluemoon | November 26, 2008 at 09:18 AM
Bluemoon, Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. To answer your question directly, yes, in a very real sense, all Americans did own slaves. We, like many other nations, have taken advantage of others throughout our history. To live without taking personal responsibility for that is a form of blindness. I just returned from a week long trip in the California gold country. Our abuse of Chinese and Native Americans and African Americans was very real as was the value we received from their labour. To be blind to these abuses is tantamount to claiming their labour as your own. Conversely, an honest recognition of that value requires a mature and nuanced understanding of my role in terms of the benefits I have received through my privilege as an American and more specifically, my privilege as a white male American. I am not debilitated by recognizing the sinew that connects me to injustice, I am strengthened by the knowledge.
Posted by: Conches | November 28, 2008 at 09:55 AM
My family were slaves/servants of the Gillespie--Blaine family. The research of slavery is not about making anyone feel 'bad'. It is, however, about Family Heritage, African, European, Native, Asian....t is about Heritage. And thosee od us with lots question marks in our family trees, research is necessary and rewarding and educational. Thanks.
Bill D....Greene and Washington and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania.
Posted by: Bill D. | March 19, 2009 at 08:29 AM
Thank you for the comments Bill. I have some data on the Gillespies if it is of any help to you.
Posted by: Conches | April 01, 2009 at 08:28 PM
If your family has any direct ties to the NC Gillespie rifle making family it is prior to 1740's. I have the line back to then if you would like it let me know.
Also, the Gillespie rifle makers in the 1780's lived in VA then moved to SC in the late 1780's/early 1790's. Then to Transylvania County NC circa 1800. A couple of John's grandsons moved to GA in 1849.
I have never heard "Gillespie Rifle's won the west" that was pretty much left to Winchester and Colt much later and far more widespread guns than the Gillespie's.
Dennis Glazener
A GGG Grandson of John Gillespie
Posted by: T. Dennis Glazener | August 30, 2009 at 01:34 PM
John Gillespie born in 1755, in NC, son of William Gillespie, is the maker of the Gillespie Rifles, not John Morgan Gillespie
Posted by: Angel Gillespie | October 09, 2009 at 10:18 PM