(Photo by Ms. Barbara Henderson -2012)
For many African Americans, tracing family history can be a journey through layers of loss and obscured records. The institution of slavery often deliberately severed ancestral ties, making the recovery of names, dates, and stories a painstaking and often incomplete process. However, when a tangible piece of the past emerges – a document, a photograph, a spoken narrative – it can illuminate not only individual lives but also broader historical contexts. For me, a member and Past-President of the Button Gwinnett Chapter of the Georgia Society, Sons of the American Revolution, and the first African American member of the Georgia Society, SAR, such a discovery has profoundly reshaped my understanding of my family’s story and its intricate connection to the American Revolution.
My recent presentation at the National Genealogical Society, Tales & Trails Conference, during the National Society Sons of the American Revolution sponsored luncheon, titled “Got Proof! The Intersection of Slavery and the American Revolution in Spanish Colonial Louisiana,” centered on a remarkable piece of evidence: the manumission document of my enslaved ancestor, Agnes, dated December 16th, 1779. What elevates this document beyond a simple record of freedom is the prominent signature it bears – that of Bernardo de Gálvez, the Governor of Spanish Louisiana.
This signature, penned less than ninety days after Gálvez’s decisive victory at the Battle of Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779, speaks volumes. It places Agnes’s journey toward freedom within the dynamic context of the American Revolutionary War and the crucial role played by Spanish Louisiana under Gálvez’s command.
The traditional narrative of the American Revolution often focuses on the thirteen colonies and the conflict with Great Britain along the Atlantic seaboard. However, the struggle for independence had significant ramifications across the North American continent, drawing in other European powers and their colonial territories. Spanish Louisiana, under the astute leadership of Governor Gálvez, emerged as a vital ally to the Patriot cause.
Gálvez, recognizing the strategic opportunity to weaken British power in the region, skillfully mobilized a diverse force of Spanish regulars, local militia (including French, Germans, French Canadians, Acadians, Canary Islanders, and even individuals of African descent, both free and enslaved), and allied Native American tribes. His military campaigns throughout the Gulf Coast – capturing key British strongholds like Baton Rouge (1779), Mobile (1780), and Pensacola (1781) – diverted crucial British resources and manpower away from the Continental Army’s efforts in the East. These victories significantly hampered British supply lines and ultimately contributed to the American victory.
Against this backdrop of strategic military maneuvers and shifting political alliances, Agnes’s manumission takes on a deeper significance. While the document itself details the legal process of her release from enslavement, Gálvez’s signature connects her personal story to the larger narrative of the Revolution. It suggests a potential link between the contributions of the diverse population of Spanish Louisiana to the Patriot cause and the granting of freedom to enslaved individuals.
It is important to acknowledge that the motivations behind manumissions in this period were complex and varied. They could stem from acts of loyalty or service, economic considerations, or even personal relationships. However, the timing of Agnes’s manumission, so soon after a pivotal Patriot victory (The Battle of Baton Rouge on Sept 21, 1779) led by the very man who signed her freedom papers, invites further exploration into the potential connections between the fight for American independence and the gradual loosening of the bonds of slavery in this Spanish territory.
But the story doesn’t end with Gálvez. My research also illuminated the significant role of another 4th-generation great-grandparent, Mathieu Devaux dit Platillo, a French national residing in Louisiana and a recognized Louisiana Patriot. He served in the local New Orleans Militia (artillery) under Gálvez’s command. Among the identifying documents discovered from his time in Spanish Louisiana was an Oath of Allegiance he signed to the Spanish authority on August 26th, 1769 – eight years before Agnes’s manumission. Learn more here about the Insurrection of 1768 in Spanish Colonial Louisiana.
Intriguingly, the evidence suggests that Mathieu Devaux dit Platillo played a crucial part in Agnes’s journey to freedom. This connection between a recognized Patriot and an enslaved ancestor highlights the complex and interwoven realities of the era. It underscores that the fight for liberty wasn’t a monolithic movement but involved individuals from diverse backgrounds with their unique struggles and contributions. See here the story of Agnes’ Manumission.
For me, as a descendant, this discovery is transformative. It moves my ancestor Agnes from a faceless figure in the historical record to a woman whose life intersected with a pivotal moment in Spanish Colonial Louisiana and American history. It allows me to weave her story into the broader tapestry of the Revolution, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of individuals in the Southern theater and the complex interplay of freedom and bondage during this era.
When telling a family history story, especially one that involves the painful legacy of slavery, the presence of such a documented connection to a significant historical event provides a powerful anchor. It offers tangible proof of our ancestors’ existence within a specific time and place, allowing us to explore the social, political, and economic forces that shaped their lives. Gálvez’s signature on Agnes’s manumission is not just an autograph; it is a testament to her presence, her resilience, and her connection to a pivotal chapter in the fight for liberty – a fight in which the very notion of freedom was being debated and redefined.
This discovery underscores the importance of looking beyond traditional historical narratives and exploring the diverse experiences of individuals caught within the currents of major events. Agnes’s story, illuminated by Gálvez’s signature, serves as a reminder that the pursuit of freedom during the American Revolution was a multifaceted endeavor, involving people from various backgrounds and unfolding in unexpected corners of the continent. It is a story that deserves to be told, not just as a personal family history but as an integral part of the larger American narrative.