Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ groundbreaking work meticulously examines a neglected aspect of slavery: the significant role of white women as active slaveholders in the South.
Overview of Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ Work
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers is a historian specializing in the history of slavery and its lasting impact on American society, particularly focusing on the experiences of enslaved women and the roles played by white women in perpetuating the system. Her scholarship challenges conventional narratives that often portray Southern white women as passive bystanders or benevolent figures within the context of slavery.
Her most acclaimed work, “They Were Her Property,” represents a significant contribution to historiography, meticulously detailing how white women actively participated in the ownership, buying, and selling of enslaved people. Jones-Rogers’ research draws heavily on probate records, court documents, and, crucially, the testimonies of formerly enslaved individuals, offering a nuanced and often disturbing portrait of female slave ownership. She demonstrates that economic motivations, inheritance practices, and legal frameworks all facilitated and encouraged white women’s involvement in the slave trade.
Historical Context: Slavery and Southern Society
The American South’s economy and social structure were fundamentally built upon the institution of slavery. By the mid-19th century, slavery was deeply entrenched, shaping not only economic relations but also the very fabric of Southern life, including gender roles and power dynamics. Southern society was rigidly hierarchical, with wealth and status largely determined by land ownership and, crucially, the number of enslaved people one possessed.
This context fostered a culture where the exploitation of enslaved labor was normalized and legally protected. While often depicted as a patriarchal system dominated by men, slavery also profoundly impacted white women, granting them certain privileges and economic opportunities tied to slave ownership. Understanding this complex interplay of race, gender, and economic power is essential to grasping the full scope of slavery’s legacy and the motivations behind white women’s participation.
The Role of White Women in the Slave System
Jones-Rogers challenges the conventional narrative, revealing white women weren’t passive bystanders but actively participated in, and benefited from, the brutal system of slavery.
Challenging Traditional Narratives
“They Were Her Property” fundamentally disrupts long-held beliefs about the Southern belle archetype and the supposed innocence of white women during slavery. Historically, these women were often portrayed as victims of circumstance, or as benevolent figures offering limited kindness to those they enslaved.
Jones-Rogers’ research dismantles this “paternalistic” myth, demonstrating that white women were not merely inheriting enslaved people, but actively seeking to acquire them for economic gain and social status. The book reveals a deliberate misrepresentation of history, where the full extent of female participation in slavery was deliberately obscured and unchallenged.
This work forces a re-evaluation of the roles women played, moving beyond simplistic narratives to acknowledge their agency – and culpability – within the institution of slavery.
White Women as Active Slave Owners
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ research definitively proves that white women weren’t simply passive beneficiaries of the slave system; they were active and often aggressive participants. They engaged in the buying, selling, and leasing of enslaved individuals, demonstrating a clear understanding of enslaved people as valuable property.
The book details how women inherited enslaved people through wills and settlements, but crucially, also actively sought to increase their holdings. They utilized legal avenues to protect their “property rights,” and frequently engaged in disputes over inheritance and ownership.
This wasn’t limited to wealthy plantation owners; women across various socioeconomic strata participated, highlighting the widespread nature of female involvement in slavery.
Economic Motivations for Slave Ownership
Jones-Rogers demonstrates that white women’s participation in slavery was deeply rooted in economic self-interest, not merely social convention. Enslaved people represented significant capital investment, providing labor that generated wealth and secured financial independence, particularly for widows and women without male support.
Slave ownership allowed women to maintain a certain lifestyle and social standing, and to provide for their families. The book reveals how women actively managed enslaved labor to maximize profits, demonstrating a keen business acumen.
Furthermore, the ability to inherit and control enslaved people offered women a degree of economic power rarely available to them otherwise in the antebellum South.
Forms of Control and Exploitation
The book details how white women exerted control over enslaved individuals through physical and sexual abuse, alongside legal frameworks protecting their property rights.
Physical and Sexual Abuse
Jones-Rogers’ research reveals the horrifying extent to which white women participated in, and often instigated, the physical and sexual abuse of enslaved people. This wasn’t simply a passive acceptance of the system; women actively wielded their power to inflict violence, mirroring the brutality common among male slaveholders.
Testimonies from formerly enslaved individuals, meticulously documented in “They Were Her Property,” detail instances of women directly overseeing whippings, imposing harsh punishments, and engaging in sexual exploitation. The book challenges the myth of the benevolent mistress, exposing the reality of female complicity in the most dehumanizing aspects of slavery. This abuse wasn’t isolated, but rather a systemic feature of the power dynamic, reinforcing white women’s control and economic interests.
Inheritance and Property Rights
“They Were Her Property” demonstrates how legal frameworks actively facilitated white women’s acquisition and control of enslaved people through inheritance. Widows and daughters routinely inherited enslaved individuals as property, often managing estates independently and profiting directly from their labor.
Southern laws granted women significant property rights, including the right to own, buy, and sell enslaved people. This wasn’t a deviation from the norm, but a core component of the economic system. Jones-Rogers highlights how women strategically used marriage settlements and wills to secure their financial futures through the ownership of human beings, solidifying their status within Southern society and perpetuating the institution of slavery.
The Legal Framework Supporting Female Slave Ownership
Jones-Rogers’ research reveals that the legal system in the American South wasn’t simply permissive of female slave ownership; it actively supported and protected it. Laws regarding dower rights, for example, ensured that widows retained access to enslaved people even after their husbands’ deaths, guaranteeing continued economic stability.
Furthermore, probate laws routinely designated enslaved individuals as legitimate property to be inherited by women. Courts consistently upheld women’s rights to buy, sell, and lease enslaved people, treating them as any other form of chattel. This legal scaffolding provided a crucial foundation for women’s participation in, and benefit from, the brutal system of slavery.
Impact on Enslaved Individuals
Enslaved people endured unique trauma under female enslavers, facing distinct forms of abuse and exploitation alongside the already horrific conditions of bondage.
Testimonies of Formerly Enslaved People
Jones-Rogers’ research powerfully centers the voices of those who experienced enslavement firsthand, revealing the devastating impact of female slaveholders. Formerly enslaved individuals consistently detailed the particular cruelties inflicted by women, often characterized by a sense of betrayal and unique psychological harm. These accounts dismantle the myth of the benevolent mistress, exposing instances of physical and sexual abuse, alongside the emotional toll of being controlled by women who, culturally, were expected to embody compassion.
The book meticulously presents these testimonies, demonstrating how female enslavers actively participated in the system of exploitation and control, contributing to the profound trauma experienced by enslaved communities. These narratives are crucial in understanding the full scope of slavery’s brutality and challenging romanticized historical interpretations.
The Unique Trauma of Female Enslavement
“They Were Her Property” highlights the distinct trauma experienced by enslaved women under the control of female enslavers, a dynamic often overlooked in historical narratives. The power imbalance created a particularly insidious form of abuse, as enslaved women were subjected to the authority of those who, by societal norms, should have offered protection and care. This betrayal fostered a unique sense of vulnerability and psychological distress.
Furthermore, enslaved women faced the constant threat of sexual exploitation, sometimes at the direct instigation or with the tacit approval of the white women who “owned” them, compounding the trauma and disrupting family structures. Jones-Rogers’ work illuminates this often-silenced dimension of slavery’s brutality;
Family Separation and Disruption
“They Were Her Property” powerfully demonstrates how white women’s participation in the slave system directly contributed to the devastating separation of enslaved families. As property owners, these women frequently made decisions regarding the sale and inheritance of enslaved individuals, often disregarding familial bonds. This resulted in mothers being torn from their children, husbands from their wives, and siblings from one another, inflicting profound and lasting emotional wounds.
The book reveals how female enslavers prioritized economic gain and maintaining control over their “property” above the well-being of enslaved families, perpetuating a cycle of trauma and loss that extended for generations.
“They Were Her Property”: Key Arguments
Jones-Rogers dismantles the “paternalistic” myth, revealing how white women actively participated in slavery’s brutality, driven by economic self-interest and racial power.
Debunking the “Paternalistic” Myth
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers directly challenges the long-held, romanticized image of Southern white women as benevolent figures largely uninvolved in the harsh realities of slavery. This pervasive narrative often portrayed them as gentle mistresses, softened by their supposed moral superiority and distanced from the violence inflicted upon enslaved people.
However, “They Were Her Property” demonstrates this was a deliberate misrepresentation. The book reveals compelling evidence that white women were not simply passive beneficiaries of the slave system, but rather, actively engaged in its maintenance and profit. They frequently inherited enslaved individuals, managed plantations, and directly profited from the sale and exploitation of human beings, shattering the illusion of a compassionate, detached female role.
The Intersection of Gender and Race in Slavery
Jones-Rogers’ work brilliantly illuminates how gender and race were inextricably linked within the brutal system of American slavery. The book demonstrates that white women’s power and status were often dependent on their ability to control and exploit enslaved Black women, creating a complex dynamic of female dominance built upon racial oppression.
This intersectionality manifested in unique forms of control and abuse, as white women often exerted authority over enslaved women’s reproductive labor and domestic lives. “They Were Her Property” reveals how white women actively participated in the sexual exploitation of enslaved individuals, further solidifying their power and perpetuating the cycle of racial and gendered violence. The book argues this dynamic is crucial to understanding the full scope of slavery’s horrors.
The Book’s Contribution to Historiography
“They Were Her Property” represents a significant intervention in the historical understanding of slavery, challenging long-held assumptions about the role of Southern white women. By centering their agency as slaveholders, Jones-Rogers compels a re-evaluation of traditional narratives that often portrayed them as passive or benevolent figures.
The book’s meticulous research, utilizing probate records and enslaved people’s testimonies, provides compelling evidence of women’s active participation in the slave system. It adds a crucial layer to the historiography, forcing a confrontation with the uncomfortable truth of female complicity. Recognized by The New York Times and awarded prestigious prizes, it’s a vital contribution to ongoing conversations about slavery’s legacy.
Critical Reception and Awards
“They Were Her Property” garnered widespread acclaim, including recognition from The New York Times and numerous awards for its impactful scholarship.
Recognition from The New York Times
Parul Sehgal, in a review for The New York Times, lauded Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ “They Were Her Property” as a “scrupulous history” that delivers a “vital contribution to our understanding of our past and present.” Sehgal emphasized the book’s importance in confronting deliberately misunderstood and unchallenged aspects of America’s history with slavery.
The review highlighted how Jones-Rogers’ research challenges conventional narratives, revealing the active and often brutal participation of white women in the institution of slavery. This wasn’t simply a matter of benefiting from the system, but of actively engaging in ownership, control, and exploitation. The New York Times’ recognition underscored the book’s scholarly rigor and its power to reshape perceptions of slavery and gender roles in the American South.
Awards and Prizes Received
Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers’ “They Were Her Property” has garnered significant acclaim and numerous prestigious awards, solidifying its place as a landmark work of historical scholarship. Notably, the book was awarded the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize, recognizing its exceptional contribution to historical literature.
Beyond this major honor, the book has received widespread recognition from various institutions and organizations, acknowledging its groundbreaking research and compelling narrative. These accolades reflect the book’s impact on both academic discourse and public understanding of slavery, particularly regarding the often-overlooked role of white women as slaveholders. The awards demonstrate the book’s lasting legacy and importance.