Casor vs Johnson

“The First Slave Owner Was Black” 

Not really, so let’s give it some context that always gets left out. 

In 1619 a group of 20-30 Africans are brought to Jamestown Virginia. Not as slaves, but as indentured servants who would work for 7-14 years to cover the cost of their travel to America, AND 50 acres of land they would get when freed. 

Anthony Johnson is a Black man brought to America in 1621 as an indentured servant. He finishes his term, grows some tobacco, expands the 50 acres to 250. In 1653 he’s got John Casor working for him as an indentured servant. He attempted to claim his freedom, but Johnson refused despite his whole family saying, “just let him go.” 

They go to trial and Casor loses on a technicality. Anthony Johnson had no paperwork with the term length for length of servitude. But Casor admitted to being an indentured servant, so the court called him a “servant for life.”