Journal of James Thomas Adcock, 1831-1836, Essay Example

September 1831

I heard the details today of the horrible massacre that took place up in Virginia last week. Seems some no-good slave by the name of Turner took it upon hisself to throw up a fight against his master, and Lord strike me down if he did not try to get his brothers to join in the fight. As I heard it, this Turner fellow gathered up some several dozen slaves and took arms against every white man, woman, and child he could find, killin’ hundreds of ‘em. Now I cannot say for sure how many he done killed, but I do know they finally caught ‘im and strung ‘im up, givin’ him a taste of the Lord’s justice. It is hard for me to imagine just what a fellow like Turner must have been thinkin’ if he decided to kill his master. Lord knows this negroes ain’t fit to make their own way in life. If it weren;t for the benevolence and kindness of their masters watchin’ over them, I dare say they would starve to death in a fortnight. This Turner must have had the Devil inside him, and I just thank the Lord that he was caught before he could get away. That might give some of his kind the message that they are better off livin’ life the way they do instead of thinkin’ they can make their own way in this cruel world.

January 1832

Daddy’s crops were the best ever this year, and the whole family done had a fair amount of money with which we could have a wonderful Christmas season. I spoke to Daddy on New Year’s Day and told him I was fixin’ to be ready to strike out on my own. We have had more than one conversation about how me and Dolly are going to make our way in the world, and I know Daddy wants me to stay here and run the plantation for him when he finally decides to retire. Problem with that is, of course, that Daddy’s about as stubborn as a mule, and the only way he is ever gonna retire is when the god Lord finally strikes him dead. Seein’ as how I pray every day that the good Lord spares my Daddy for as long as He sees fit, I reckon I’d rather strike out on my own and see if I cain’t build me a plantation that is half as beautiful as my dear Daddy’s. He said we’d be talkin’ ‘bout it agin ‘fore too long, and I reckon Daddy is starting to realize that I’m as stubborn as he is, and I ain’t gonna give up on my dream any time soon.

March 1832

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the troubles brewin’ out in Texas. We had some kin make their way out West a while back, and we get letters from them tellin’ us that them Mexicans are doin’ all they can to keep us decent American folk from makin’ our way out there and settling the land. I happn to believe that it is the God-given right of us decent folk to make this land free for all Americans, and I have been talkin’ to Daddy about takin’ my little Missy out there and building my own plantation in Texas. Them Mexicans might think it’s their land, but I feel certain that with the Lord on my side I can settle a patch of land and do my part to make it safe for me and mine.

December 1832

It’s been some time since I have been able to write any new entries in this journal. Seems to me the world is moving faster and faster every day. I read the newspapers and hear stories about life up North, and how the folks in the big cities have a whole mess of ideas about how things ought to be. Also seems to me that most of their ideas about how things ought to be don’t have a whole lot to do with the ideals on which this great country was founded. We are supposed to be a nation where people can make their own way in life, but the folks up North seem intent on taxin’ everyone near to death and tellin’ decent folks how they should live their lives. I know the good people out in Texas sure would like to join in the union of this great nation, but them folks up North seem intent on tellin’ them that they cain’t own slaves. I reckon I don’t understand that, seein’ as how slavery is a nothin’ but a positive good for the master and for the slave. After many long talks with Daddy, I have decided that I am indeed going to make my way out to Texas and, with the help of Daddy’s seed money, start growin’ some cotton of my very own.

It’s going to be hard goin’ at first, seein’ as how I won’t be able to bring too many slaves out there with me. Ever since they made it illegal to bring in new slaves from over in Africa, the only negroes available here are the offspring of those that came before them. And that means the prices of good slaves have gone way up ever since then, so I reckon I’ll have to just bring me some good, hearty breeding stock and raise ‘em up alongside my own children.

June 1835

It has been far too long since I last wrote in this journal, but I have been busy making my new life for my wife and out children. We have two boys that have lived by the grace of God, and a little girl we lost when she was just a few days old. Life here in Texas ain’t like it was when we were still back home in Virginia. Daddy was like the Lord of the Manor back home, and he lived the life of a benevolent master. He made sure his negroes were good God-fearin’ folk, and that they had nice whitewashed cabins and went to services every Sunday morning.

Life is much harsher and rougher here in the West. As much as I would love to bring the aristocratic bearing of My Daddy out here to the plains of Texas, I must admit that most days are spent just makin’ sure that the crops are tended to properly and that the negroes are doin’ the work they’s supposed to do. We seem to have constant trouble with the Mexicans, as the Mexican in charge must be as stubborn as my Daddy. He seems intent on makin’s ure that we Americans don’t take Texas as our own. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the manifest destiny of America to make this land ours. We have always been a good, Christian nation, and I do believe we have God on our side. If God wants us to make Texas ours, then by God that’s what we will do.

There has been some talk about Texas being annexed by the U.S., but I ain’t seen any sign that such a thing is about to happen any time soon. I know that we are going to fight with all the strength God gave us to keep Texas for our own, and if America won’t have us, well, Mexico ain’t gonna have us neither.

As far as I see it, the negroes on Daddy’s plantation had it far too easy. I have to make sure my negroes work hard and tend the cotton as they are supposed to, and I have hired me some drive to oversee the work to make sure it gets done. We have made a fair ahare of money in the past few years, and that money, plus a little bit from dady, made it possible for us to purchase some more negroes from the sellers who make their way through these parts on occasion. They pick up young, healthy stock along their travels, and make their way West out through Georgia, Lousiana, and eventually all the way out here to Texas. We are now running three gangs, each of which has twenty string negroes. I try to be as kind as I can to them, and I never work them for more than sixteen hours in a day. Most weeks we even give them a half day off on Sunday so’s they can prepare some food and have a decent, Christian family meal on Sundays after services. Some of the local plantation owners tell me I’m soft for lettin’ ‘em have so much time to themselves, but my Daddy raised me to fear the Lord and be a good Christian.

July 1836

A while lot sure has happened here in Texas since I last had time to write in this journal. Seems the Mexicans got themselves a new leader, a fellow by the name of General Santa Anna. The Texans got themselves together an army, and told Santa Anna that Texas was now going to be a free state instead of being under Mexican control. Santa Anna did not take kindly to this news, and his army battled it out with the Texas army something fierce. Earlier this year they had one heck of a battle up in San Antonio, at the Alamo mission. As I heard it, quite a few decent Americans died, but heroes like Davey Crockett and James Bowie put up one hell of a fight before they fell.

Not long after that a bunch of Texans led by Sam Houston turned the tables on Santa Anna’s army, and they captured that no good Mexican, sat him down, and made him sign treaties agreeing to give Texas our independence. Before long we had ourselves a brand new Republic of Texas, where Americans could be free to work hard and keep their slaves. The Republic of Texas drafted a constitution to make it all official and legal, and then petitioned the United States government for annexation. Texans like us feel that, as good hard working Americans, we deserve to have the same protections and rights as any other Americans, and I expect it won’t be long before everything gets sorted out and taken care of properly.

September 1836

Even though there has been a lot of talk about getting the U.S. government to back the annexation of Texas, it seems that there are still some folks in Congress and elsewhere who oppose the idea. Our constitution guarantees the right for decent white folk to own slaves, just as we and our families always have. But some folks seem to think that we should have to give up our slaves if we want to join the United States. This sure doesn’t make much sense to me. After all, this great nation was built on the hard work of men like my daddy and the negroes he so kindly took in, and I see no reason why we should have to change things that have always been this way. Apparently President Jackson is concerned that if Texas is allowed into the United States, it will upset the balance of slave states and non-slave states that was settled way back in the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Maybe after this next presidential election gets settled we can sort this out. I have no fear that God will see us through, and it won’t be long before Texas joins the United States of America.

References

Greenberg, K. (2003). Nat Turner: A Slave Rebellion in History and Memory. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Henretta, J. A., Edwards, R., & Self, R. O. (2011). America’s history. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Schultz, K. M. (2012). HIST2, Volume 1. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection.