The Breeding Farms: What America Doesn’t Want You To Know

In 1808, America banned the import of slaves from Africa and the West Indies. The impact on actual slavery in America was almost non-existent. There was still some limited smuggling of slaves but the majority of new slaves in America came from what Professor Eric Foner called, "natural increase." One could reasonably ask, "Why ban slave imports and not ban slavery itself?" The answer is because for many of the proponents of the prohibition including Thomas Jefferson, the reason was not based on humanitarian concerns but on economics. The South was producing and selling enough slaves internally that the slave trade was reducing prices for slaves and cutting into profits. In 1819, another act was passed allowing US ships to not only patrol its own shores but the coast of Africa in an attempt to stop slave ships at the source. Not for concerns about ending slavery but in protectionism for American slave owners. Everything was contingent on the fact that there was a "self-sustaining" population of about four million slaves in America at the time. Southern legislators joined with northern ones in passing both the acts that banned the external slave trading but ignored slavery. Most of us are aware that slave owners often bred their slaves to produce more workers. We are taught almost nothing about the breeding farms whose function was to produce as many slaves as possible for the sale and distribution throughout the South to meet their needs. Two of the largest breeding farms were located in Richmond, VA and the Maryland Eastern-Shore. As far as cities I've never lived in, I've spent as much time in Richmond, VA as anywhere. I traveled there multiple times a year, often for a few days or a week at a time. Richmond is serious about most of its history. I've visited the Edgar Allen Poe Museum. Monument Avenue contains several statues mostly of Confederate Civil War heroes; Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, J.E.B. Stuart and Robert E. Lee are honored there as is the late African-American tennis star Arthur Ashe who was from Richmond. In August 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said Richmond would consider the "potential removal" of the statues glorifying the legacy of the South after issues raised in nearby conflicts and protests involving white supremacists. One major part of Richmond's history is barely remembered, hardly spoken of and taught publicly nowhere. Richmond is a port city. Unlike the scenes you may have seen on television of slaves being off-loaded from ships and sold at auction. Richmond exported between 10,000 to 20,000 slaves a month to states further south and west. Slavery, not tobacco was Virginia's primary domestic crop. Yet you never hear the names of the industry leaders, Robert Lumpkin ran his "jail" which was a compound surrounded by a 12-foot fence with iron spikes. Should a slave escape, by law, The Fugitive Slave Act, they would be returned courtesy of the Federal government. The slave population of the breeding farm was mostly women and children not old enough to be sold, and a limited number of men whose job was to impregnate as many slave women as possible. The slaves were often given hoods or bags over their heads to keep them from knowing who they were having forced sex with. It could be someone they know, perhaps a niece, aunt, or their own mother. The breeders only wanted a child that could be sold. Richmond also had five railroads. Slaves could be shipped both by rail and boat which allowed slaves to arrive in better condition and thus fetch a higher price. Slavery was always about something more than man's inhumanity towards man. It was always about economics. Cheap labor that allowed America to compete with other nations. Much of America was literally built on slavery. Texas schoolbooks are now trying to make it sound not quite so bad. The breeding farms receive no mention at all.

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rica’s Breeding Farms: What History Books Don’t Want You to Know

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Author: enigmainblackcom

William Spivey is a regular contributor to the Inner-City News where he writes about politics and popular culture. He also blogs as “Enigma in Black” where he explores poetry, religion, politics and all manner of things socially relevant. He is also a contributing Blogger at Together We Stand He is the founder of the Facebook pages Average Citizen Forum, Enigma in Black, and “Strong Beginnings,” the title of his soon to be released Political Fiction/Romance novel. William was the winner of a University-wide Essay Contest while at Fisk University titled, “The Value of a Liberal Arts Education. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Fisk and resides in Orlando, FL. His goal is to make his voice heard and make a difference.

19 thoughts on “The Breeding Farms: What America Doesn’t Want You To Know”

  2. Its a horrible part of history. Something we should never forget. The attrocities of it all has to be retold often as the world easily forgets the horror of reality sometimes. I don’t like reading it either, chruns my gut, butthis needs to be taught in schools so they may make the world better today.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your thoughts so eloquently. It stirs up so many emotions. I can’t even say it is anger! It is more sadness and disbelief in the magnitude of the negative history of this country. It is about the distortion and elimination of history to cover the ugly nature of a complete race of people for their own gain. Yet we hear them singing songs like Proud to Be An American. All I can say is God Help Us and then. I guess now it is about educating our people and then look to God to have forgiveness in our hearts.
    Lord Help Me!!!!

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      1. I share your deep interest in and continuing study of Virginia history. Two points: Tobacco was, in fact the primary cash crop of the state for more than two centuries. But exporting enslaved people to the Deep South to service the King Cotton and Sugarcane industries was the RESULT of tobacco having worn out the soil by extracting needed nutrients. Farmers, including my tobacco-growing family, eventually learned to rotate crops instead of planting in consecutive years. Meanwhile, selling surplus people became the next major cash crop. Also, have you looked into the wife of Trader Lumpkin, a black woman who inherited his wealth in cash and slaves?

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  4. Im a living history interpreter in Richmond Va…I tell the story of General Gabriel the enslaved blacksmith that led the slave revolt in 1800. His wife Nan was pregnant when he was executed. Their son was sold away and raised to be a Breeder further south

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    1. Wow 😢 & my gratitude to you as well, because all we’ve ever wanted was the truth, we have never known who we were as a people apart from being slaves & in 2019 here we are still searching

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  5. Informative and frightening. I mean really, there’s no way in God’s earth many AAs can track their lineage and if so, how degrading it will be to discover the horror and tragedy of it all.

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    1. Thank you 👏this was chattle slavery which was slavery in its worst form & this is also why the heavenly father said that it would never occur in this mannerism again

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  6. Not a pleasant topic…but It must be told. I found out today that one of my distant relatives are credited for having 74 children He was a slave, a breeder and lived in Richmond VA. Very upsetting and eyeopening at the same time

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  7. Thank you sooo much for not giving up on us & continuing as I try to do to learn as much as you can that TRUTHFULLY happened to our people that still hurts to this day 😢

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  8. Pingback: America’s Breeding Farms: What History Books Never Told You | Enigma In Black – WRIIT

  9. I’m a historian that specializes in topics related to slavery. I would very much appreciate your primary sources on the breeding farms that you mentioned. Thank you!

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    1. Kelly R. You might start with “The American Alave Coast” by Ned and Constance Sublette. It’s quite comprehensive and puts into perspective the clause in the Constitution (Article 1; Section 9) and how it came about to convince South Carolina primarily to join the Union. It takes us to 1807/1808 when Jefferson eliminated the International Slave Trade, not as a precursor to ending slavery but as protectionism for domestic bred slaves. The quote I included at the end of my article shows Jefferson knew full well the economics of breeding and the greater value of a female slave that could give birth evey two years.
      There’s also. “Slave Breeding: Sex, Violence,and Memory in African American History” by Gregory D. Smithers; and “Slave Breeding,” also by Smithers. Good luck in your reading.

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  10. Thank you, Mr. Spivey. There is little on the web as necessary as the work you are publishing in blog form. Please keep it up.

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