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History, The African-American Presence in early
Oxford-Lafayette County
Written by Mrs. Susie Marshall
"African-Americans in Oxford and Lafayette
County came from a wide variety of southeastern states including South
Carolina, Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia. Some arrived
before the Civil War and others migrated to the county after the War. Many
family names related to times of slavery and original plantations names.”
I. The African-American Presence in Early Oxford-Lafayette County
“The establishment of Lafayette County occurred on February 9, 1836 arising
from the Chickasaw Cession. The town of Oxford, seat of justice for
Lafayette County, was founded June 22, 1836.‘In the three census period
prior to the Civil War the record shows that Lafayette County's slave
population was substantial. In 1840 there were 3,689 whites in the county of
which 2,018 were males and 1,658 females, during the same period. This
compares with 2,842 slaves, composed of 1,412 males and 1,430 females,
during the same period. In 1850 whites increased to 8,346 and slaves
expanded to 5,719. By 1860, the white population grew to 8,989 and the
number of slaves increased to 7,129. The majority of slave holders in
Lafayette County possessed two to fifteen slaves while five owned between
one-hundred to two-hundred slaves.’" (Sobotka,
C. John Jr. A History of Lafayette County, Mississippi. Oxford, MS:
Rebel Press, 1976. Page 32).
History, page two
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