03/08/2026
BUT THE IRISH WERE SLAVES TOO! OH YEAH? Sit down class and pay close attention because Mr. LEE has a lot to say!!!!
Indentured Servitude vs. Chattel Slavery
Here lately I have been seeing a lot of people downplaying the transatlantic slave trade and even going as far as comparing it to the Indentured servitude of the Irishman. Indentured servitude and lifelong chattel slavery were fundamentally different systems. Examining Irish immigrants in St. Landry Parish, it is evident that they arrived by choice, not as property. On a socioeconomic level, these immigrants possessed skills that allowed them to prosper. Based on the 1860 Census, pictured in Picture No. 1, many assimilated successfully and became wealthy landowners.
For example, John LYONS had a real estate value of $20,000 and personal property valued at $42,000, equivalent to $3,138,427 in today’s money (2025). Other prominent Irishmen included Hotel Keeper Francis TANNER, Dr. James DONOVAN, and William NORTON, who was one of the wealthiest planters in the parish. According to the census, Norton’s real estate was valued at $40,000, and his personal property at $67,000, much of it tied to the forty-eight enslaved people he owned. In today’s dollars, this equates to an estimated $4,095,276 (2025).
Among the enslaved individuals was a man named Peter, also known as Whipped Peter, "Poor Peter," or Gordon, who is pictured in Picture No. 4. He later escaped slavery and became one of the most powerful symbols of the abolitionist movement. In 1863, photographs documenting the extensive scarring on Peter’s back from severe whippings were widely circulated by abolitionists, exposing the horrific realities of slavery to the broader public. His "scourged back" photo remains one of the most famous images of 19th-century America, serving as undeniable evidence of the brutality enslaved people endured.
Beyond St. Landry Parish, Irish immigrants in Louisiana also held positions of power and influence. Alejandro O'Reilly, an Irishman, served as Louisiana’s second Spanish governor (1769–1770). He strengthened Spanish control, reformed government policies, and solidified Louisiana’s economy. His high-ranking status demonstrates that Irish immigrants, despite facing some discrimination, had access to economic and political mobility, privileges that enslaved people and even free people of color never had. Louisiana has not had a Black governor since Reconstruction, and even then, he was not descended from enslaved Louisianans.
The Reality of Enslaved People of Color
Now, let’s examine the reality for enslaved people of color, as illustrated in Picture No. 3. On March 7, 1827, exactly 198 years ago as of today, March 7, 2025, George HUDSON of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, sold to William FOREMAN:
GEORGE (Negro), age 27 (b. 1800)
EMILY (Negro), age 30 (b. 1797)
Their four children:
SUZANNE, age 7 (b. 1820)
LUCILLE, age 5 (b. 1822)
HARRIETTE, age 4 (b. 1823)
WASHINGTON, age 2 (b. 1825)
The bill of sale explicitly stated that George and Emily, along with their children, were "slaves for life." Unlike Irish immigrants, who were never denied fundamental rights, enslaved people were disenfranchised, denied property ownership, and systematically marginalized. Even free people of color with wealth and education faced legal restrictions, including the inability to hold political office. Irish immigrants, on the other hand, were always recognized as free citizens and had the right to vote.
While Irish immigrants undoubtedly faced hardship, comparing their struggles to the millions who lived and died in bo***ge is historically inaccurate and completely unfounded.
The Complexity of Free People of Color Owning Slaves
It is true that some free people of color owned enslaved individuals, but a closer look at historical data reveals a far more complex reality. In my research, I have found that descendants of free people of color frequently intermarried with the descendants of the enslaved people their families once owned.
A clear example is Francois Auguste DONATO III, pictured in Picture No. 2. Born on March 3, 1854, in Opelousas, Louisiana, he was the son of Francois Auguste DONATO and Clara DONATO, both from wealthy free people of color planter-class families. Unlike his family members, who traditionally married within their social class, on January 31, 1883, Francois married Odelia CHEVIS, a woman who had been enslaved by his parents. Through extensive research, I traced Odelia’s lineage back several generations to some of the earliest enslaved Africans in Louisiana.
Within one generation, Odelia went from being her husband's family’s legal property to becoming an heir alongside their shared children. This is one of many examples in which the formerly enslaved families of free people of color eventually became family through intermarriage.
In contrast, due to harsh miscegenation laws, marriages between white enslavers and their formerly enslaved families were far less common. The legal barriers to in*******al relationships greatly restricted these unions, which is why the percentage of such marriages remained low.
The Limited Freedom of Free People of Color
Although free people of color enjoyed some degree of autonomy, their rights were severely restricted. They could own property, and in some cases, more than their white counterparts, but they were barred from holding political office.
This reality was further exacerbated in the mid-1800s as racial tensions escalated. The Dred Scott decision (1857) caused widespread disruption, emboldened white supremacy, and fueled fears that free Black populations could eventually face re-enslavement.
Despite attempts to downplay the causes of the Civil War, the central conflict was not merely economic. It was about the expansion of slavery into Western territories. The divide between slave states and free states threatened the balance of power in the U.S. government, ultimately leading to war.
On Historical Research and Accessibility
The information is out there, but very little of it is as extensive as what I am presenting here, especially in naming specific individuals. Just because something isn’t readily available on Google does not mean that these historical records don’t exist. I have spent the last 17 years discovering and analyzing these documents, many of which have been overlooked, untranslated, or never properly contextualized.
Just because you don’t know something does not mean it didn’t exist. That is why my work is important, because much of what I share consists of history that was previously untranslated, unknown, or never examined in depth.
The absence of certain histories online does not mean they never happened. It simply means they have yet to be widely disseminated. The information available on Google only exists because someone conducted research and made it accessible.
Historical records are shaped by who is doing the work and what their motivations are. Some researchers aim to present an accurate, well-documented historical account, while others selectively present information to perpetuate a particular narrative. This is why independent archival research remains crucial in uncovering the full historical picture, rather than relying solely on what is most easily accessible online.
Now before I go, I'm not sure how the Irishman were elsewhere outside of my region of focus but they faired out pretty good here in SW Louisiana. OOOO'kayyyyyy!
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