Butler Island Plantation, situated along the Atlantic coast of Georgia, was once a vast rice plantation. Major Pierce Butler, a Founding Father of the United States and a proponent of slavery, acquired the property in 1790 and oversaw its operation until his death in 1822. Following his demise, the plantation passed into the hands of his grandsons, Pierce Mease Butler and his brother John. Pierce, however, had recklessly dissipated his inheritance, incurring a reported debt of $700,000.
As a result of his financial ruin, the management of Pierce Butler’s estate was entrusted to trustees. In an effort to settle his debts, the trustees auctioned off his once-grand but neglected Philadelphia mansion for $30,000. Other Butler properties were also sold, but these measures proved insufficient to satisfy creditors, let alone maintain Butler’s opulent lifestyle. Faced with this dire situation, the trustees resorted to the Georgia plantations and their “moveable” property—the enslaved people.
In 1859, over 400 enslaved individuals were sold at a public auction, a harrowing event known as the “Weeping Time,” which served as a stark reminder of the brutal reality of slavery.
During the American Civil War, the plantation was deserted by its owners, leaving the enslaved residents to fend for themselves. Many remained on the island, forming a community and continuing their rice cultivation. Following the war, these former slaves, now emancipated individuals, acquired land and established their own farms on Butler Island.
Today, Butler Island Plantation is preserved as a historical site. The brick chimney that stands near the road was part of the rice mill built decades ago.
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