Enslaved Spaces of 18th-Century Williamsburg

By the time of the American Revolution, almost half of Williamsburg’s population was enslaved. Nowhere in the city was untouched by slavery. Exploring Williamsburg from enslaved peoples’ perspectives reveals how the ways they lived and labored were shaped by—and helped shape—the world around them.

Most historical sources were not written from the perspective of the enslaved. But through extensive and careful research, historians are able to recover their voices and actions. Decades of study at Colonial Williamsburg have given insight into how enslaved people lived and labored in the city.

Compared to rural areas, urban environments like Williamsburg gave enslaved people access to larger Black communities, more opportunities to self-hire, slightly better working conditions, and easier access to information, which could be key for those seeking to self-emancipate.

Williamsburg was a small city in the 18th century. While it presented some of the advantages of an urban environment, its smaller size also meant some things—like maintaining anonymity or autonomy—could still be difficult.

Outbuildings were vital structures built for specific functions, like kitchens or laundries. Enslaved people often worked and lived in these buildings, giving them a degree of separation and the ability to exercise limited autonomy over themselves and their space.

Archaeological evidence and historical research at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation show enslaved people owned a variety of goods. From delicate Chinese ceramics to fine European fabrics, these items reveal personal tastes and the effort to bring beauty into a harsh reality.

Evidence of toys belonging to enslaved children has been found across Williamsburg. Clay marbles like these could be made easily and cheaply. Their simplicity tells a powerful story of enslaved children finding ways to have fun, despite their circumstances.

Enslaved people often used what little free time they had to hire themselves out, even using their spaces of enslavement for themselves. John Wilson, for example, likely used his carpenter skills to make money for himself. He bought himself, and probably his family, a “great variety of clothes," and possibly other goods.

When a fugitive ad was placed for a man named Michael, his enslaver said he would likely be "lurking about Williamsburg." Michael may well have hidden with other enslaved people. The privacy of outbuildings could allow enslaved people to assist runaways like Michael.

Enslaved people often used the land around outbuildings to cultivate produce. These gardens supplemented their diets and provided surplus crops to sell at local markets. This allowed for a measure of control, and even profit, in their lives.

Enslaved people needed permission to sell or trade goods with white Virginians. Those who did get permission may have gone to Williamsburg’s Market House. There, they could slowly accumulate enough money to buy goods for themselves, their families, and their homes, or—in rare cases—even purchase their own freedom.

By using their skills and the spaces of their enslavement for their own purposes, enslaved tradespeople felt a sense of ownership over the very tools of their trade. Some, like a man named Charles, even took these tools with him when he ran away.

Many enslaved people were sold on Williamsburg’s Raleigh Tavern porch. Slave auctions were dehumanizing, as onlookers inspected, bid, and bought people. The unknown of a new enslaver, combined with the threat of being separated from family, made these spaces especially traumatizing.

The gaol (jail) was a place where runaways and those accused of committing a crime were held. Barely protected from the elements and provided only the most basic necessities, it was a harsh place to survive.

The streets of Williamsburg were workplaces for coachmen, carters, and others and would have been filled with enslaved people traversing the city. As they worked, they would have found small moments of relief through conversations with family or friends.

Outside Williamsburg, wooded areas were the site of clandestine meetings, hiding places for runaways, and even religious services. The First Baptist Church, one of the nation’s first Black congregations, used these very woods for their services for many years.

Sleeping in outbuildings, working after sunset in gardens and shops, and praying in the woods, the enslaved people of Williamsburg created lives of meaning and purpose in the spaces that others forgot. Their efforts to make these places their own help us understand their personal stories and the history of slavery.