OUR ANCESTRAL
JOURNEY, SLAVE SCHEDULES, THE PRIVILEGE OF VOTING: MY FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT
Submitted by
Martha S. Lue Stewart
Election 2024, represents a pivotal time in our nation’s history, one for which our ancestors struggled and fought. And we, as their beneficiaries possess a privilege and a right to exercise: Voting. As a daughter of the Deep South born during an era where our most abled Black men were fighting racism abroad, hard battles of racism were taking place in their own backyards. Sixty (60) years later, I am still reminded of a personal experience that continues to inspire my commitment to 'go the extra mile,' particularly in exercising the privilege and the right to vote. For some, this story may be familiar; for others, it may be new.
I grew up in rural North Florida, in the region now known as the Panhandle, close to the state capital. In the 1870s, this area had a larger population of enslaved individuals than free residents, many of whom were brought there to cultivate the fertile land, assist in harvesting tobacco, and cotton crops. My great-great-grandfather, born around 1820, was among these enslaved Yet, my paternal great grandfather inherited land—yes, land—that remains in our family today.
Forty acres and a mule. As explained by the noted historian, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, in the documentary appendix, “The truth behind 40 acres and a Mule,”
“The islands from Charleston, South, the abandoned rice fields along the rivers for thirty (30) miles back from the sea, and the country bordering the St. Johns River, Florida, are reserved and set apart for the settlement of the negroes (sic) now made free by the acts of war and the proclamation of the President of the United States … and that these new communities, moreover, would be governed entirely by black people themselves.” William Sherman’s Special Field Order, Number 15, January 16, 1865
However, just as “freedom is not always free,’ owning of land did not come without constraints, challenges, and attachments. The ‘ownership of land’ then did not include the opportunity for an education. Look at my great grandfather’s 1900 Census record:
Speak English Y
House Owned or Rented Own
Home Free or Mortgaged Mortgaged
The Greatest Generation: Fast forward to my father's generation. Born in an era commonly called the Greatest Generation as the youngest of six children (his birthdate was between 19131914), societal and family expectations were clear:
While women worked within the home, with daughters assisting and allowed to attend school up until the sixth grade, male children, as young as five, were expected to work the land, till the soil—many never stepping foot in a formal classroom. In later years, several of our male family members served on the front lines of wars, often returning home bruised, battered, mentally confused, missing limbs, scarred-in a myriad of ways.
In the meantime, as we, the children of my father, grew older, we took turns in assisting him to read and memorize important information. My older sisters helped him read and memorize his favorite Bible verses. The two younger daughters were tasked with the responsibility of teaching him how to write his name starting with replacing the 'X' - a designation used and accepted as his official signature.
Vote. My daddy was a sharecropper for most of my formative years, although the family owned the land. Notably, his inability to read must have been costly. When I turned eighteen, my first year in Community College, Daddy and I went to vote together - as a matter of fact, unannounced, he took me to vote. A requirement to vote: To read the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal. Daddy asked me to go first. I realized what was happening and decided to read it as slowly and distinctly as possible, knowing his phenomenal ability for memorization. When it was his turn, even with a memory that rivaled that of much more learned persons, he just couldn’t read or recite it all, and thus was not allowed to vote. Later, at 60 plus years, he walked to the polls and proudly cast his very first vote. But he always filled our hearts with the spirit of determination, reminding us of how proud he was of us. Denied the right to vote with now illegal parameters of reciting the Preamble, he inspired all of us to use the right to vote in every election.
U S Federal Census: 1850; 1860: Exploring “Slave Schedules”
I serve as the historian for my family. As such, I have spent countless hours “breaking down walls” in learning more about our history. For those budding genealogists, it may be helpful to note that the U S Federal Censuses of 1850 and 1860 were the first to enumerate the slaves who
were our ancestors existing in the federal count. If enumerated, they were listed under their ‘owners’ names and categorized as female or male. Decades later, through the use of little used microfilm, through further understanding of “Slave Schedules,” through releasing of additional information from the National Archives (archives.gov), and through other genealogical tools, I used the owner’s name to only then finally discover my relative’s real name. You guessed it: his last name bore the name of his owner (Appendix A).
Discussion
As my family’s historian, I’ve learned a great deal as an eighth generation Floridian, beginning with the days of my great-great-grandfather, who was initially identified on the Slave Schedule Census as Enslaved. Male. 30 years of age (older than his slave owner). This is a resounding reminder of the ‘promise’ of forty acres and a mule, and yet the collective memory that drives my desire to cast a vote when and where I am able.
Because of my father and of my resilient ancestors, I proudly stand on the shoulders of those who stood before me. Ensuring that my voice is both heard and that my vote counts are the least that I can do. With the powerful restatement that each of us has our own Ancestral Journey story, I remain committed to democracy and voting I thank God each day for those who helped to pave the way for me, for my children, my grandchildren, and future generations. My brothers and sisters, my friends, no doubt, the ‘heavy lifting’ has already taken place … The importance of participating in this long fought democratic process cannot be overemphasized. The opportunities to exercise these rights are here and open to making our voices heard … I leave you with questions: How will you diminish your excuses and barriers to vote? What’s your plan to get out the vote in this very important election?
APPENDIX A: (SLAVE SCHEDULE)
Name (Name of slave owner)
Residence Date 1850
Residence Place
Number of Enslaved People 10
Role
Owner
The author: Martha S. Lue Stewart is a member of the Carter Tabernacle CME Church, Orlando, Florida, where Rev. Dr. C. K. Heath, Presiding Prelate of the 5th Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, serves as Pastor. A Professor Emerita in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Central Florida, she is an active Sunday Church School participant and a member of the Social Justice & Human Concerns Ministry, as well as the president of the local Women’s Missionary Society, along with serving as the Vice President of the Women’s Missionary Society, Florida Region. A member of the Executive Board of the Women’s Missionary Council, led by International President, Dr. Jacqueline I. Scott, she serves as Chair of the Sylvia M. Faulk Commission on Christian Social Relations. She and her husband, Carlton, find joy in studying the Word together. Her son, Rev. Marvin C. Lue, Jr., serves as Pastor of the historic Stewart Memorial CME Church, Mobile, Alabama.