Jourdan Saunders
Jourdan Michaux Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1796 Caswell County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 19, 1875 (aged 78–79) Fauquier County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, slave trader |
| Years active | 1827–1840 (slave trade) |
| Known for | Partnership with Franklin & Armfield; domestic slave trade |
Jourdan Michaux Saunders (1796 – March 19, 1875) was an American farmer and trader specializing in domestic slave sales, recognized for his business association with Franklin & Armfield. Originating from a slaveholding family in Caswell County, North Carolina, Saunders inherited a considerable estate following his father's passing after their relocation to Smith County, Tennessee. He volunteered with the Tennessee militia during the War of 1812, participating in the Battle of New Orleans.
Saunders commenced his involvement in the slave trade in October 1827 by forming a partnership with David Burford, launching J. M. Saunders and Company in Fauquier County, Virginia. Despite initial setbacks, he earned the trust of Isaac Franklin after a successful sale in New Orleans and integrated into Franklin & Armfield’s operations, concentrating on procuring enslaved individuals for shipment to Louisiana. Following Nat Turner’s 1831 uprising and subsequent restrictions on interstate slave trading, Franklin & Armfield and their partners, including Saunders, maneuvered through these challenges to maintain profitability. Saunders delivered hundreds of enslaved people to the firm but encountered financial difficulties when Franklin & Armfield accumulated substantial debts and delayed payments. He withdrew from the trade during the mid-to-late 1840s and retired to his estate in Fauquier County with his mixed-race partner Mary Wilkins and their four children. Although he never formally acknowledged his offspring, all except one—James, who served with the United States Colored Troops during the American Civil War—received inheritances from him. Saunders passed away from heart disease at his estate in March 1875.
Early life
Born early in 1796 to William and Nancy Cunningham Saunders—slaveholders residing in Caswell County, North Carolina—Jourdan Saunders had three older half-siblings from his father’s earlier marriage, including future congressman Romulus M. Saunders, as well as two younger siblings. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to what became Smith County, Tennessee. His father died in 1803, dividing property among his widow and children; Jourdan received approximately of land along with several enslaved individuals. Subsequently, his mother remarried Richard Alexander.
Military service
Towards the end of the War of 1812, Saunders enlisted with the Tennessee militia. On September 20, 1814, he joined the 2nd Regiment of Mounted Gunmen stationed at Dixon Springs, Tennessee under Colonel Thomas Williamson. Mustered at Fayetteville, Tennessee in October, he served for seven months as a private within John Coffee's brigade during the Battle of New Orleans, before being discharged in April 1815.
J. M. Saunders and Company
In late October 1827, Saunders entered into a partnership with David Burford to create the slave-trading enterprise J. M. Saunders and Company. Burford, primarily engaged in politics within Smith County, Tennessee, contributed capital and strategic counsel while Saunders oversaw acquisition and transportation of enslaved people. After evaluating potential sites, Saunders selected Fauquier County, Virginia and leased office space in Warrenton. Starting in late May 1828, he procured slaves through agents who identified rural sales and personally traveled to Winchester, Virginia to purchase individuals. By July that year, he had assembled a group of 22 men, women, and children who were housed at his expense in the Old Fauquier County Jail.
In mid-July 1828, Saunders embarked on an overland journey on foot with these enslaved individuals covering more than 1,100 miles toward southern Louisiana for sale. Arriving months ahead of the peak winter market season in New Orleans, he recorded no immediate sales there; it is probable that he sold on credit to sugar planters located in outlying parishes. Ultimately, all but one slave—who escaped—were sold though financial losses were likely incurred.
By 1829, Saunders transitioned to transporting slaves by sea to New Orleans. During that summer and fall he purchased sixteen slaves; one fled while another suffered serious injury during an escape attempt. He traveled with fourteen enslaved individuals aboard the brig United States departing from Alexandria, Virginia to Louisiana by mid-November. Before departure, Saunders located the escaped slave and employed agents to recapture him to reduce losses. Shortly after arriving in Louisiana, he sold seven young slaves at a profit to Isaac Franklin of Franklin & Armfield—the nation’s largest slave-trading firm—and collected outstanding debts owed within Louisiana. Remaining slaves were sold in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, resulting in a profitable outcome for his company.
Partnership with Franklin & Armfield
Following his initial sales in Louisiana, Saunders procured an additional 26 enslaved individuals from Franklin, generating profit by distributing them throughout rural Louisiana. Impressed by Saunders' expertise and standing, Franklin proposed a collaborative arrangement: Franklin would oversee sales in New Orleans and Natchez, his partner John Armfield would manage transportation from Alexandria, and Saunders would concentrate on sourcing enslaved people in Virginia. Saunders counted among the seven or eight affiliates of Franklin & Armfield operating within the wider Chesapeake region.
Sales under Saunders’ management grew rapidly, with Franklin efficiently marketing the slaves Saunders supplied, achieving revenues exceeding during the 1830–1831 season. Nevertheless, by spring 1831, sales experienced a steep downturn; Franklin alerted Saunders that "times are extremely dull." Despite this warning, Saunders persisted with substantial acquisitions, dispatching 17 enslaved individuals to Franklin & Armfield by September 1831.
Circumventing Louisiana trade laws
In the aftermath of Nat Turner's 1831 uprising, Louisiana enacted a ban on interstate slave trading in November 1831, allowing exceptions solely for planters relocating permanently with their slaves. Prior to the enforcement of this statute, John Armfield convened a "Council of War" with Saunders and other agents to strategize methods for evading these restrictions through legal technicalities and forged bills of sale. By manipulating documentation and falsifying receipts, transactions conducted in Louisiana were recorded as having taken place in Virginia or Tennessee. Additionally, slaves were sold "at sea," enabling purchasers in New Orleans to claim ownership during transit—an exemption under the law.
This approach proved highly profitable for Saunders, who was able to acquire enslaved individuals in Virginia at reduced prices. As most smaller traders withdrew from Louisiana due to the new regulations, Franklin & Armfield along with their affiliates leveraged these loopholes to consolidate market control. Armfield expressed approval following the law's enactment. Prior to relocating operations from New Orleans to Natchez, Saunders had transferred 68 slaves into the area without facing significant competition. Although he maintained connections with his original partner Burford, Saunders ceased relying on Burford’s financing and declined requests for slaves destined for Burford’s plantation to safeguard his alliance with Franklin & Armfield.
Challenges and exit from the trade
Despite encountering less profitable periods, Saunders benefited from the expanding slave market fueled by plantation growth after the Indian removal and Trail of Tears. The robust banking environment facilitated credit availability, allowing more planters to purchase enslaved laborers. While competition in Virginia pushed prices upward, strong demand in the Deep South preserved profitability. During the 1832–1833 season, Saunders transported approximately 100 enslaved persons.
Initially skeptical about cholera outbreaks among coffles in 1832, Saunders was confronted with a severe epidemic that claimed nine enslaved lives—including four children—significantly diminishing profits. In April 1833, he acquired a centrally located lot in Warrenton likely serving as an office, residence, and holding facility. He shipped roughly 100 individuals during the 1833–1834 season but ceased operations after depleting his cash reserves.
By late 1834, Franklin & Armfield faced debts exceeding , rendering them unable to pay Saunders in cash. Saunders refused loan repayments and extended their partnership for another year in hopes of receiving full payment. He reduced activity considerably, purchasing only 15 slaves in fall 1834. In December 1834, Armfield terminated his partnership with Saunders. A delayed final payment amounting to approximately , comprising cash and commercial paper, was eventually delivered. Although Saunders contemplated rejoining the trade later on, by 1847 he confirmed no slave purchases had occurred since 1840.
Later years and passing
A devoted advocate of Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party, Saunders held positions in county administration and led local political gatherings throughout the 1840s.
In the early part of that decade, Saunders entered into a relationship with Mary Wilkins (born 1815), who was listed as a "housekeeper" on census records. Although identified as white in 1860, she was recorded as a Free Negro in 1847 and described as "almost white." Together, they had four children: James (born 1843), Frank (born 1845), Sallie (born 1847), and Lillie (born 1854). The family relocated in 1851 to Mountain View, a 186-acre grain farm situated near Warrenton. During the American Civil War, their eldest son James fled due to his Unionist sympathies, eventually enlisting with the Union Army's 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry Regiment before returning to assist with farming duties.
Jourdan Saunders passed away from heart disease at his farm in Fauquier County on March 19, 1875. Although he never officially recognized his children, he provided inheritances to most of them; arrangements were made for his daughters to inherit the farm following Mary's death. James was excluded from any inheritance.
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