Enslaved Population of Bexar County was Over 40%
In 1850, the slave population in Texas overall increased to over 58,000, and was approximately 200,000 by 1860. In 1850, many Texans possessed slaves, but lost approximately 3,000 slaves to freedom in Mexico. Between 1851 and 1855 approximately 1,000 crossed into Mexico and obtained freedom. In 1854, out of suspicions and rumors that the Mexicans would befriend African Americans in insurrections or escapes, the white residents of Austin drove many impoverished Mexicans from the city in a preemptive strike fueled by these concerns. Interestingly, in the 1850 Bexar County had a large Black slave population as Guadeloupe County was in Bexar County at the time. About 9.6% of the population of enslaved Black people were in the Bexar County area and about 32.1% were in the Cibolo Creek area which was in Bexar County at the time.
Slave Owners and White Supremacists Hated Mexicans
Slave owners and white supremacists hated Mexicans and, in some cases, entire towns in Texas were ethnically cleansed of Mexicans by murder, threats, and burning homes. The fate of the safety of slaves in Mexico was threatened in 1851, when over 400 white supremacist Texans, including John Salmon “Rip” Ford, who is buried in the Confederate Cemetery on the Eastside of San Antonio, and who was a prominent racist political actor, joined the Merchant’s Revolt of Jose Carvajal. Jose Carvajal, a friend of the white supremacists and a sellout Mexican, attempted to create the “Republic of Sierra Madre” in Northern Mexico, promising to return escaped slaves to Anglo Texas slave masters. However, this pro-slavery sellout was defeated by the Mexican army at Matamoras.
Slave Empire in Texas
John Salmon Ford was involved with mercenary attempts to create a slave empire in Texas as an adherent to the cause of the Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC). Anti-Mexican feelings climaxed in the Cart War of 1857, when Mexicans were accused of aiding runaway slaves because of competition between Anglos over the hauling of goods to markets. Some Mexican cart owners let Black slaves hide in their wagons on a trip to freedom in Mexico. While Mexico opposed slavery, a knee-jerk reaction took place. This made Texas slave owners, including William Travis, foam at the mouth with rage at the loss of their human cargo. Mexican military leader, Bradburn, withheld land titles requested by White Texas squatters attempting to steal land, enforced custom laws, and most importantly refused to return runaway slaves to Louisiana masters. Slavery was indeed the central issue in the fight of slave owners to create a country that allowed human bondage. William Travis would use the race card and the issue of slavery to incite racial hatred against Mexicans. Of course, he stood to become wealthy by all of the turmoil he helped to create. The whirlwind that he co-instigated, in support of slavery, and the apparent greedy path that his law practice hoped to exploit, would soon come.
Number of Enslaved People in San Antonio
The number of enslaved people in the San Antonio area was very high. This fact is often ignored or lies are told to make it appear that San Antonio was some sort of racial paradise. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was a slave plantation right off present day Broadway Street and another on the South Side near the Mission Golf course. There were others as well that have been perfectly hidden to give tourists the bologna tour of fake history. There were slave codes to keep Black people off of the street in the 1850s and beyond, but they would rather have us believe a mythical past that denies reality.
