Clinton Township Newsletter

2 9 a p r i l 2 0 2 1 Often when we think of slavery in the United States, we think of tobacco p l a n t a t i o n s i n V i r g i n i a , o r o f t h e Antebellum South's low-country where cotton was king. However, slavery was not a distant oppression, it was alive and well in the 1700's and early 1800's in New Jersey. Similarly, it existed in Clinton Township as well. According to the late Rutgers professor Dr. Clement Price, "support for the institution" of slavery "was stronger in New Jersey than in any other northern colony." At the end of the 17th century, Jersey settlers were promised 60 to 75 acres for each slave they owned. New Jersey's slave population peaked in 1800 at 12,422 slaves, while Hunterdon County had 1,301 slaves in 1790. Records of slavery are not as well documented as other historical records, but we do have irrefutable evidence of slavery in and around Hunterdon County. Slavery started very early in New Jersey. Two hundred and thirty years ago slavery was not considered a crime in our state. The Quakers, who later refuted slavery in 1776, brought slaves through the Raritan Valley into New Jersey, as did the Dutch. In fact, slavery was deemed acceptable by many Quakers if slaves were well treated. The slaves worked in both farming and manufacturing. It is recorded that in 1740, three fourths of the corn planted in Hunterdon County was done so by slaves. Furthermore, Flemington court records show that in the early 1800's m a n y f a r m s h a d s l a v e s . I n C l i n t o n Township, the Vought farm, [current location of the Clinton Township Middle School] had two slaves. F a r m s c o u l d n o t r e t a i n t h e l a r g e numbers of slaves, as could the country's s o u t h e r n p l a n t a t i o n s , b e c a u s e t h e growing season was much shorter. Since the main occupation was farming, for a farm to expand, cheap labor was needed. The dilemma was that the slave workforce was quite small, and everyone needed help at harvest time. Therefore, a few slaves could be kept, but too many created a burden during off-season times. This was not the case in manufacturing. For example, William Allen and Joseph Turner were Philadelphia slave traders. T h e y e n s l a v e d d o z e n s o f A f r i c a n Americans in their iron works and furnaces in Clinton Township and High Bridge. Some of the slaves in the iron works were skilled and would be paid for extra work after working all day as a slave. As the natural resources for the forge and furnaces became scarce (e.g., coal and wood), the mills declined. Of the 40 slaves laboring at the forge, one named Mingo escaped, one named Peter Rabbit stayed, and the remaining 38 were chained together and sent to Virginia. The New Jersey governor called for an emancipation plan in 1778, but legislation was not passed until 1804. The Abolition Law stated that the children of slaves born after the passed legislation would be free after serving their mother's master for 25 years if male, and 21 years if female. Many people feared the economic competition of freeing African Americans. Unlike in New England, slavery grew in New Jersey in the decades after the Revolution. This meant that gradual emancipation would not start until the 1820's, as there were still slaves bound for life. Forced labor and apprenticeship was not outlawed until the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on December 6, 1865, after r a t i f i c a t i o n b y e n o u g h s t a t e s . N e w Jersey had rejected the amendment on March 16, 1865, but later ratified it on January 23, 1866. As I drive around Clinton Township I marvel at the elegant old houses, especially the stone ones. It is amazing that after 300 years these houses remain u n b o w e d , c l e a r l y w e a t h e r e d , a n d continue to defy the test of time. Although skilled at farming, I doubt that the local farmers could build such sophisticated structures. More likely, they were built by paid skilled builders and chances are that builders' crews contained slaves. History does help us remember important events and actions by great leaders, however, we should also remember all who helped build Clinton Township. T h e C l i n t o n T o w n s h i p H i s t o r i c a l Preservation Commission is interested in learning more about the history of our community. If you have stories, photos, or artifacts depicting the Township's history you are willing to share, please contact the Clinton Township Historical Preservation Commission at 1225 Route 31 South, Suite D, Lebanon NJ 08833. You can also contact us at: historic. clintontownshipnj@gmail.com. C l i n T O n T O W n s H i p H i s T O R i C a l p R E s E R V a T i O n C O M M i s s i O n Getting to Know your Township – An Historical Perspective Series – Slavery in Clinton Township, by Bill Buriak "The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations." ~ John Paul II

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