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When Fanny Kemble arrived in America in September, 1832, her thoughts about slavery were neutral. In her journal she recorded: |
After dinner, sat looking at the blacks parading up and down; most of them in the height of the fashion, with every colour of the rainbow about them. Several of the black women I saw pass had very fine figures; (the women here appear to me to be remarkably small, my own being, I should think, the average height): but the contrast of a bright blue, or pink crepe bonnet, with the black face, white teeth, and glaring blue whites of the eyes, is beyond grotesque. -Fanny Kemble Journal of America |
Eleven days later she wrote with a different opinion of African Americans... |
... by the bye, Essex [an African American whom they met on ship board] called this morning to fetch away the captains claret jug; he asked my father for an order [of theatre tickets], adding, with some hesitation, "It must be for the gallery, if you please, sir, for people of colour are not allowed to go into the pit, or any other part of the house." I believe I turned black myself, I was so indignant. Here’s aristocracy with a vengeance! -Fanny Kemble Journal of America |
Frances Anne Kemble married Pierce Mease Butler on June 7, 1834. It was likely the worst decision Fanny ever made. Pierce was a slave owner; Fanny, after observing plantation life, an abolitionist. |
The family into which I have married are large slaveholders; our present and future fortune depend greatly upon extensive plantations in Georgia. But the experience of every day, besides our faith in the great justice of God, forbids dependence on the duration of the mighty abuse by which one race of men is held in abject physical and mental slavery by another. As formed, though the toilsome earning of my daily bread were to be my lot again to-morrow, I should rejoice with unspeakable thankfulness that we had not to answer for what I consider so grievous a sin against humanity. -Fanny Kemble Records of Later Life |
PBS Online |
At the time she married in 1834, Fanny was clueless to the fact that Pierce Mease Butler would inherit his grandfather's rice-plantations, which harbored nearly 1000 slaves. When this did happen, Pierce brought Fanny to one of the plantations to live. He hoped she would discover slavery was a blameless business, but instead his plan backfired. She made it her duty to intercede for the slaves and to better their wretched lives. |
Pierce Butler |
Slavery has been the best thing that's happened to niggers because it has helped to civilize them, as much as that is possible given their limited intelligence. Slavery has also built America. Rather than ending slavery, we need to expand slavery westward from the South to the shores of the Pacific Ocean and down into Mexico. With slavery, America will become prosperous and strong. Without it, well, I shudder to think what will become of our nation. -Pierce Butler's thoughts as depicted by Julius Lester Day of Tears |
Whichever way this war terminates, she will not be the gainer. She has offended the North mortally, and, should the North succeed, there will be a debt to pay which will bankrupt the prime agent of this Exeter Hall war. Should the North fail, which all enlightened Englishmen predict, the South will remember who it was that prevented other nations from recognizing her independence, and give to France...every advantage for obtaining the trade, commerce and manufactures of this country. - The Daily Dispatch, Jul 21, 1863 |