July 24, 2026
Anthony Johnson was one of the first group of 20 Black indentured servants who bought his freedom.
On July 24, 1651, Anthony Johnson was granted 250 acres of land in Northampton County, Virginia. Arriving in America in 1619 as one of the first group of 20 Black indentured servants, Johnson eventually bought freedom for both himself and his wife. Upon securing his liberty, he went on to become one of the earliest wealthy Black landowners in American history.
Johnson’s life illustrates that in early 17th-century Virginia, racial lines were initially less rigid than they became later in colonial history. During this transitional period, a small number of freed Black individuals were able to acquire property, utilize the court system, and participate in the colonial economy alongside white planters.
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