Anthony Johnson, a free African landowner

Once an indentured African, Johnson gains his freedom and owns 250 acres on Virginia's Eastern Shore — among the first free Black landowners in the colonies.

Historians debate aspects of this entry. See the methodology for how contested history is handled.

Resources

Primary sources·1

Primary source· Primary

Court Ruling on Anthony Johnson and His Servant (1655)

Encyclopedia Virginia

The 1655 Virginia court record in the Johnson v. Parker case.

Articles·1

Article

Free Black People in Colonial Virginia

Encyclopedia Virginia

How a small free-Black community lived, worked, and owned land in 17th-century Virginia.