Kenner and Henderson
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brokerage, slave trading, cotton factoring |
| Founded | 18th century |
| Defunct | 1811 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans , United States |
Key people | William Kenner, Stephen Henderson |
| Products | Cotton brokerage, slave trading, financial clearing services |
Kenner and Henderson operated as a brokerage firm specializing in cotton and enslaved individuals, as well as functioning as a financial clearing entity headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The company was managed by its founders, William Kenner, originally from Virginia, and Stephen Henderson. Prior to the War of 1812, their enterprise ranked among the most affluent in New Orleans. Their distinguished customers included agricultural landowners like Kenner's father-in-law, Stephen Minor from Natchez.
The business provided planters with various supplies, notably slaves procured from the Chesapeake area. During the 1828 presidential campaign, critics of Andrew Jackson accused him of participating in slave trading activities, referencing deals connected to Kenner and Henderson. A narrative by Andrew Erwin recounted a conflict concerning a slave bought for resale through Kenner and Henderson in New Orleans.
In 1806, the firm publicly offered "74 prime slaves of the Fantee nation aboard the schooner Reliance...from Charleston." Slaves from their sugar plantation were implicated in the notable 1811 German Coast uprising. The partnership came to an end in 1811.