More than a “Wench”

[Image source: Ambrose Gordon v. Henry McNish, Georgia City Court Civil Minute Books, 1801-1808, Savannah Municipal Archives, 155.]

It is no secret that Juliette Gordon Low’s paternal family owned numerous enslaved workers prior to the Civil War. What is lesser known is the extent to which older generations, specifically her paternal grandfather W.W. Gordon I (1796-1842) and great-grandfather Ambrose Gordon (1751-1804) utilized enslaved people as commodities. This excerpt from an early 19th century court case in which Ambrose Gordon sued Henry McNish to collect a debt illustrates this common practice. The court ordered the debt to be settled through the sale of a “Negro wench” owned by McNish. Her name is never mentioned in the records, which was also common for the time, especially for women. Lack of identifiable names made it easier to treat these individuals as property rather than human beings.

One of the challenges of writing about a complicated family legacy like that of the Kinzie-Gordon clan is giving voice to those they encountered who are often overlooked. Wherever possible, I tried to include as much information as possible about the African American and Indigenous peoples who were integral to the story, including their names. For some, however, especially those who were quickly traded away for their monetary value, the records of their identities and voices are more difficult to find.

I never discovered the identity of the woman mentioned in this case, but here is what I do know:

She had a name.

She was a human being who was treated as property.

Her life had value beyond that of the monetary value recognized by the courts.

She was more than a “Negro wench.”

Her life still has much to teach us about our past.