Evening star., 1933-11-02
HOPE AGAIN HEADS
| NEGRO LIFE STUDY
Atlanta University Doctor Is
Reelected President of
History Association.

Dr. John Hope of Atlanta University
was reelected president of the Associa-
ton for the Study of Negro Life and
History late yesterday at the organiza-
tion's annual meeting, which opened
here Sunday afternoon and closed last
night.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson of Washing
ton was chosen again to serve as
director and editor of the associations
publication, 1.-The journal of Negro
History" Louis R. Mehlinger, also OF
Washington, was reelected secretary
treasurer.
Three vacancies on the executive
council were filled by the following
John M. Candy of the Virginia State
College, w. r. Banks, Prairie View
State College, Tex. and H. Council
Trenholm, State College, Montgomery
Ala.
Members of Council.
Members of the council who will
continue to serve include DR.. Hope, DR.
woodson. MIR. Mehlinger. James H
Dlllard, Charlottesville, Va, Franz
Boaz, Columbia University; William E
Dodd, University of Chicago Evarts B
Greene, New York City; Bishop r. A
Carter, Chicago; President Joseph J
Rhoads. Bishop College, Marshall. Tex.
Alexander L. jackson, Chicago; A. M
SChleSlnger, Harvard University; Harry
E. Davis, Cleveland, Ohio, and T.
wingate Todd. Western Reserve Uni
versity-
Last nlght the association heard
discussions of the situations of Negroes
the Virginia State Col1ege spoke on
Land Tenure of Free Negroes in Vir-
ginia," while Prof. Eugene P. Southal
of the Florida Agricultural and Me-
chanical College told of The Negro in
Florida Prior to the Civil War"
Virginia in 1860 had 58,042 free
Negroes, Prof. Jackson said, and these
Negroes owned real estate valued at
$664,014 He estimated that in terms
of the 1929 dollar this sum would have
represented S2,656,056 in actual value
He said this property was obtained
partly through gifts frcm white land
owners and partly by purchase.
Official Records Used.
Data on which Prof. Jackson based
his figures were obtained from official
record books from the county court
Library of Congress has little to offer
on this subject
His researches showed the 58,041
free Negroes in the State in 1860 rep
resented about one-eighth of the total
Negro population. Among the free
Negroes, l2,l58 or 81 per cent, lived
in towns and cities; leaving 45,884, OF
79 per cent, in rural sections. Out OF
the 12,158 free Negroes in towns and
cities. $500, or Al per cent, were con-
centrated In Richmond and Petersburg
Out OF the SO counties of Virginia
free Negroes owned property to some
degree in II. The 19 counties. where
they possessed no property were largely
in the western part CT the State where
the free Negro population was small
or SO recent that property ownership
was hardly to be expected.
The largest land holder was FRANKIE,
Miles, a Negro woman who received th(
land, located in Amelia County. as 2
gift from a white land owner. The
great majority of the free Negro lane
holders, however, owned less than SC
acres; The total number of acres pos.
sessed by the race was 53,419.
While almost all the free Negroes tr
rural sections were farmers. barber,
predomianted among the well-to-dc
Negroes who lived in towns and cities
Ihe highest ranking barber in Rich
mona was Reuben West. whose five OF
SIX holdings amount to $4,000.
Other free urban Negroes found EN-.
ployment as mechanics. in the liver,
business, the skilled trades, as draymen
mack drivers, owners of restaurants ano
in manufacturing
Many free Negroes, Prof. Jackson
| pointed out held slaves The larges-
slave holder of record was Rebeccs
Matthews Of Petersburg, who died ir
lo49. leaving an estate of S10034.25
the bulk of which was slave property.
Prof. Jackson said there was author
1ty for the assumption that opportuni
ties for the free Negro in the South
were much greater than in the North
just before the Civil War. even slave.
earning enough money in some cases te
buy their own freedom.
Peak Development Year.
The year 1860, he said, represented
| the peak of the free NegroS economic
development in the State prior to tht
Civil War and the per capita amount O.
| land owned by the race in that yeal
! had not been increased by 1890
Florida, under Spanish rule, was pic.
tured by Prof. Southall as a haven fol
Negro slaves who escaped from the Eng
| lish colonies to the North. This atti.
tude of the Spaniard, he said, was mo.
tivated, not so much by love and sym.
pathy for the Negro, but from hatred O.
| the Negroes English masters.
The first free Negro settlement il
Wnat IS now the United States wa
established in Florida in 1879, whel
St. Augustine, called Gracia Real d
Nose, fOr fugitive Negroes, he stated
In 1740. he continued. this colony wa
moyed temporarily from M9se to St
lsh invasion, and finally to Cuba whe1
Florida was ceded to the English il
1888
During the numerous changes in tn,
| ownership of Florida, the speaker said
the movement of Negroes to the Stat,
| fluctuated with the nationality of tn
government, reaching a standstill whel
the State was in English hands.
mot only was East Florida a havel
for runaway slaves" Prof. Southal
said, but West Florida also extended
welcome arm to the fugitive Negro an,
Indian. In 1750 a dissension aros
among the Greeks of Georgia. The dis
satisfied faction withdrew, and, led b.
Chief Sea Coffee, migrated into Spanisl
| Florida. These exiles later becam
what is now known as the Seminoles
word which to the Indian meant run
away So-called Negro towns sprunl
up in several sections of North Florida
The Seminoles on whole were friendl
towards the ex-slaves. Intermarriag
became common and the Negro plays al
| important part in the Seminole struggl
to retain Florida as his home.
"The story of the white mans effort
to dispossess the Indian of his FIorid,
home reveals an intimate relation be
| tween the Indians and Negroes il
Florida. Many Negroes held high place
in the councils of the Indians. Spragu
| thinks it was the influence of Negroe
over Florida Indians that caused then
to resist removal to the West as lon,
as they did. The Negroes exercised ,
wonderful control. It was not until tn,