Episode 145: Public Manumission: A Reward for Remarkable Service

Charleston Time Machine - A podcast by Nic Butler, Ph.D. - Fridays

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On several occasions between 1708 and 1822, the South Carolina General Assembly purchased the freedom of enslaved people who had performed remarkable acts of public service. These public manumissions were not simply altruistic expressions of gratitude, but also the calculated efforts of nervous white lawmakers to cultivate feelings of loyalty within the enslaved majority population.