Section 2: Who Were Black Cowboys? Enslaved

I seen some slaves sold off dat big auction block and de little Chilian sho’ would be cryin’ when dey takes dere mothers away from dem… We didn’t know nothin’ ‘bout no learnin’ nor no church neither and when de slaves die dey was jes’ buried without no singin’ or nothin’.

Will Daily as told to the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936-1938

Enslaved people of African descent worked with horses and cattle from their arrival in New Spain in the late 1500s to emancipation in 1865. Just prior to the Civil War, enslaved people made up 30 percent of the population of Texas. Black cowhands contributed to the development of the cattle industry and honed skills 

they would later use in freedom as ranch hands and on the cattle trails.

The following are the captions for images in this section. 

Caption (1): Will Daily was photographed as a part of his interview with the Federal Writers’ Project near his home in San Angelo, Texas, 1936-1938.

Creditline: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division

Caption (2): Map of the enslaved population of the United States compiled from the U.S. Census of 1860.

Creditline: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

Caption (3): Bill of Sale from September 28, 1847 showing that Thomas Freeman McKinney transferred property to James P. McKinney for six years of service valued at $9,000. Among the property to be transferred were nine enslaved people listed by name, 300 head of cattle, 700 head of sheep and goats, and seven horses.

Creditline: National Archives at Fort Worth, TX

Caption (4): Map of Texas published by H.S. Tanner after Mexico’s secession from Spain in 1821 and before the Texas Revolution in 1836. 

Creditline: Courtesy of Frank and Carol Holcomb and the Texas General Land Office