Owners of Enslaved Persons on the Eastern Shore Who Served in the Maryland Legislature and the U.S. Congress, Part 1

George Shivers • March 1, 2022

Excerpt from probate inventory of Governor Charles Carnan Ridgely’s property at Northhampton Furnace, 1829. Image: Maryland State Archives


Slavery in Maryland preceded the colony’s founding in 1634. During most of the 1600s, however, plantation labor was largely performed by indentured servants from England.

 

Fewer than 1,000 enslaved Africans were brought to Maryland before 1697. Between that date and the outbreak of the American Revolution, nearly 100,000 enslaved men, women, and children, mostly from the Caribbean, had disembarked at the colony’s ports of entry. By 1755, about one-third of the colony’s population was from Africa. On the Eastern Shore, colonial ports of entry were Chestertown, Easton, Cambridge, Salisbury, and Princess Anne.

 

Those who could afford to be enslavers were primarily owners of substantial plantations, with tobacco as the major money crop during the 1600s and early 1700s. Of course, many middle-class town dwellers purchased enslaved persons as house servants. Around 1750, Eastern Shore agriculture had shifted primarily to the production of wheat, which required less labor. In terms of its impact on enslaved people, one result of this shift was that the Shore counties became a place for breeding enslaved persons for sale to the Deep South.

 

After American independence and formation of the federal government, among those who held people in slavery during the late 1700s and early 1800s were men who served in the Maryland legislature and/or the U.S. Congress.

 

This article is the first of three. Here I discuss those from the lower Eastern Shore counties (Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset). Subsequent articles will focus on those from the Mid-Shore counties (Dorchester and Talbot) and the Upper Shore (Queen Anne’s, Kent, and Cecil). Because it produced no representatives to the state or federal legislature during the period of slavery, Caroline is omitted from this report. The names of these politicians are taken from a Washington Post project to identify enslavers.

 

Lower Shore Politicians Who Held People in Bondage

 

Twelve men from the lower Eastern Shore held high political office during the period of slavery. They were:

 

  1. Joseph Stewart Cottman (1803-1863), Somerset
  2. John Woodland Crisfield (1806-1897), Somerset
  3. George Robertson Dennis (1822-1882), Somerset
  4. Littleton Purnell Dennis (1786-1834), Worcester
  5. William Humphries Jackson (1839-1915), Wicomico
  6. Edward Carroll Long (1808-1865), Somerset
  7. John Selby Spence (1788-1840), Worcester
  8. Thomas Ara Spence (1810-1877), Worcester
  9. James Augustus Stewart (1808-1879), Worcester
  10. Ephraim King Wilson (1821-1891), Worcester
  11. George Washington Covington (1808-1911), Worcester
  12. Isaac Dashiell Jones (1806-1893), Somerset


Here is a more detailed look at the careers of four of these men, with details of their ownership of the enslaved.

 

Grave of Joseph Stewart Cottman at St. Andrew’s Episcopal

Church in Princess Anne, Md. Photo: findagrave.com


Joseph Stewart Cottman

 

Joseph Stewart Cottman lived on a plantation named “Motherton” along the south bank of Wicomico Creek in what was then Somerset County (now in Wicomico). Just outside the village of Allen (at that time known as Upper Trappe), the road that approaches it is still known as Cottman Road. Cottman was well-educated, having attended Princeton College in 1821 and Yale College in 1822 and 1823. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1826 and began his practice as an attorney in Princess Anne, county seat of Somerset County. He served in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1831-1832 and again in 1839. In 1837, he served in the State Senate. He was elected to the 32nd Congress of the U.S. in 1851 and served until 1853. His campaign for the 33rd Congress was unsuccessful.

 

In 1840, Cottman held 43 persons in bondage. Ten years later, according to the federal census of 1850, there were 36 enslaved males on his plantation, ranging in age from 1 year to 80. There were 23 females, ranging in age from 1 year to 70. He was by far the largest owner of enslaved persons in his district in that year.

 

John Woodland Crisfield.

Photo: prabook.com


John Woodland Crisfield

 

John Woodland Crisfield was born in 1808 near Galena in Kent County and graduated from Washington College. He was admitted to the Maryland bar in 1830. In 1836, he entered the Maryland House of Delegates. Elected as a candidate of the Whig Party, Crisfield served from 1847 until 1849 in the 30th Congress from Maryland’s 6th Congressional district. In 1861, he was elected as a Unionist to the 37th Congress from Maryland’s 1st Congressional district and served one term, which ended in 1863.

 

Although an owner of enslaved persons, he opposed Maryland’s secession and supported the Union during the Civil War. In March of 1862, President Lincoln spoke with Crisfield about emancipation. Crisfield argued that freedom would be worse for those who were enslaved than slavery itself. In July 1862, Lincoln offered to buy out Maryland slaveholders, offering $300 for each person emancipated. Crisfield refused the offer.

 

He was defeated in 1863 by John Creswell of Cecil County, who supported the emancipation of the enslaved. Crisfield was a delegate to the National Union Convention in Philadelphia in 1866. He was also instrumental in the construction of the Eastern Shore Railroad and served as president. He died in 1897. The town of Crisfield in Somerset County is named in his honor.

 

John Selby Spence’s grave in the Episcopal Church

Yard in Worcester Co. Photo: findagrave.com


John Selby Spence

 

John Selby Spence was born near Snow Hill in Worcester County on February 29, 1788. He received a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1809 and returned to Worcester County to practice medicine. He was an anti-Jacksonian Whig and served five terms in the House of Representatives from Maryland’s District 1 between 1823 and 1836. He was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy resulting from the death of Robert H. Goldsborough. He was re-elected in 1837 and served until his death on October 24, 1840, near Berlin. 

 

According to the Federal Census of 1830 he owned 45 enslaved people. In 1840, the year of his death, that number was reduced to 6.

 

Ephraim King Wilson, Jr.

Drawing: history.house.gov


Ephraim King Wilson, Jr.

 

Ephraim King Wilson, Jr., was born in Snow Hill in Worcester County in 1821. He attended Union Academy in Snow Hill and Washington Academy in Princess Anne (in neighboring Somerset County) and graduated from Jefferson College in Cannonsburg, Pa. in 1840. He taught school for six years and was admitted to the bar in 1848, when he established a practice in Snow Hill.

 

In 1847, King served in the Maryland House of Delegates as a Democrat. He retired from his law practice to his farm in 1867 due to poor health. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875. From 1878 to 1884, he was a judge in the first judicial circuit of Maryland, and was elected in 1884 to the U.S. Senate, in which he served until his death in 1891.

 

Census records indicate that his father, who lived from 1771 until 1834, owned 12 enslaved persons in 1820 and 11 in 1830. It is likely that Ephraim Wilson, Jr. inherited these or other enslaved people from his father in 1834 and probably added to that group; however, I have not been able to find a record of the number of persons that he held in bondage.

 

 

Sources:

More than 1700 congressmen once enslaved Black people. This is who they were, and how they shaped the nation. Julie Zauzmer Weil, Adrian Blanco, and Leo Dominguez. Washington Post, Jan. 10, 2022.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/interactive/2022/congress-slaveowners-names-list/?itid=ap_juliezauzmerweil

 

A Guide to the History of Slavery in Maryland, Revised Edition: Annapolis, Md: the Maryland State Archives, 2020.

http://slavery.msa.maryland.gov/pdf/md-slavery-guide-2020.pdf

 

Wikipedia, Joseph Stewart Cottman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stewart_Cottman

 

Shivers, George R., Changing Times: Chronicle of Allen, MD, an Eastern Shore Village. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1998

 

Find a Grave, Joseph Stewart Cottman

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7856021/joseph-stewart-cottman

 

Prabook, John Woodland Crisfield.

https://prabook.com/web/john.woodland_crisfield/2239928

 

Find a Grave, John Selby Spence

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26182448/john-selby-spence

 

History, Art, and Archives. U.S. House of Representatives, Ephraim King Wilson.

https://history.house.gov/People/Listing/W/WILSON,-Ephraim-King-(W000577)/

 

Wikipedia, Ephraim King Wilson.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephraim_King_Wilson

 

 

A native of Wicomico County, George Shivers holds a doctorate from the University of Maryland and taught in the Foreign Language Dept. of Washington College for 38 years before retiring in 2007. He is also very interested in the history and culture of the Eastern Shore, African American history in particular.



Common Sense for the Eastern Shore

Health of His Constituents is Apparently Not a Priority for Rep. Dr. Andy Harris

By Jan Plotczyk • October 8, 2025
The Republican Congress and President Trump are causing a health care crisis and Democrats are trying to fix it. Passed in July, the GOP budget reconciliation bill is drastically cutting health insurance programs to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-MD01) voted for the budget reconciliation bill. He voted, knowing that his vote would mean that health care costs would rise for 25,000 of his constituents in Maryland’s First Congressional District:

Judge Denies Trump Administration’s Attempt to Stall Maryland Offshore Wind Case Amid Federal Shutdown

By CSES Staff • October 8, 2025
 Efforts by the Trump administration to delay a critical court case over Maryland’s offshore wind project have failed, marking another setback in the president’s campaign to block renewable energy development along the East Coast. On Oct. 2, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher denied a motion filed by the Department of Justice to pause an ongoing lawsuit involving US Wind’s proposed 114-turbine wind farm off Ocean City. The administration had argued that the federal government’s shutdown prevents its attorneys from continuing the case. The judge’s swift rejection ensures that the litigation and progress on one of Maryland’s most significant clean energy projects will continue. Initially filed by Ocean City officials and a small group of residents nearly a year ago, the suit challenges the federal approval of US Wind’s project, which would deliver enough clean electricity to power more than 700,000 homes. Under the Biden administration, the federal government had defended the project in partnership with US Wind. That stance was reversed after Trump took office earlier this year and installed officials hostile to offshore wind. In September, the Trump administration filed a separate motion seeking to vacate federal approval for the Maryland project altogether, a move widely condemned by environmental advocates, labor groups, and business leaders who see offshore wind as a cornerstone of Maryland’s energy and economic future. US Wind responded forcefully to the shutdown motion, warning the court that the administration’s attempts to delay proceedings could allow it to undermine the project’s approval behind the scenes quietly. The company argued that halting the case would create “existential risks” for the future of Maryland’s offshore wind industry. Judge Gallagher agreed that the case should move forward, setting the next status hearing for Oct. 7. The Trump administration’s repeated efforts to obstruct offshore wind development come as Maryland and other states have invested heavily in building the infrastructure, workforce, and port facilities needed to anchor the growing clean energy industry. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has championed the sector as a key driver for well-paying jobs and long-term economic resilience for the Eastern Shore. Supporters of US Wind point out that the project will bring over $1 billion in investment to Maryland, generate thousands of construction and maintenance jobs, and help deliver cleaner, more affordable energy to homes and businesses across the region. “Offshore wind isn’t just about turbines, it’s about jobs, innovation, and independence,” one clean energy advocate said after the ruling. “Every delay costs working Marylanders opportunity, and this decision ensures progress continues.” While the broader lawsuit over the project’s approval is ongoing, the latest ruling represents a clear win for those fighting to keep Maryland’s offshore wind future on track — and a blow to Trump’s attempt to turn back the clock on clean energy.

Should We Pin Our Hopes on Mid-Cycle Redistricting in MD-01?

By Jan Plotczyk • October 8, 2025
Maryland has eight congressional districts, and the seats for all but District 01 are filled by Democrats. As we well know, the First District representative is a Republican — Andrew P. Harris. Here’s what Maryland’s congressional district map is now.

Megan Outten Kicks Off Wicomico County Council District 7 Campaign with Packed Crowd and Strong Early Momentum

By CSES Staff • October 8, 2025
With standing room only at Salisbury’s Historic Poplar Hill Mansion, and blending policy, community service, and grassroots energy, Megan Outten launched her campaign for Wicomico County Council District 7 before almost 100 supporters on Oct. 4. The event drew community residents, labor leaders, and local officials, many of whom also helped to pack nearly 300 care kits for Wicomico residents in need. The community service effort doubled as a campaign statement about what Outten calls “choosing connection over convenience.” District 7 is one of Wicomico’s newly drawn single-member districts, with a Democratic advantage of 7.7%. Outten recalled her family’s history of service in Fruitland and Salisbury. “Service isn’t just politics in my family,” she said. “It’s how you belong to a place. It’s how you prove you care.” She pointed to the county’s landfill crisis, water and septic system failures, and school underfunding as examples of leadership that reacts rather than plans. “This is what happens when leaders only react after things break,” she said. “It costs us more. It hurts families. It robs our kids of the future they deserve.” Outten was joined by several local leaders who offered strong endorsements and reflections on her record. AFSCME Local 3 Eastern Shore representative Jack Hughes praised her leadership on the Salisbury City Council, crediting her with helping pass the Eastern Shore’s first municipal labor code, a significant win for city workers and first responders. Councilman Josh Hastings, who represents the district and is running for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 38B, said Outten would be “crucial in carrying forward the progress we’ve made” on clean water, schools, and infrastructure planning. Whitney Snowden-Olanrewaju from Blending Cultures, a non-profit organization that promotes diversity and equality, spoke about Outten’s record of community inclusion and bridge-building across diverse groups. Outten’s campaign is expected to roll out additional endorsements in the coming weeks. In her speech, she outlined a platform focused on fully funding schools, investing in infrastructure before it fails, and ensuring that county government works for everyone. “This campaign is not mine,” she told the crowd. “It’s ours. I am not standing above you. I am standing with you. And together, we will put Wicomico families first.” With enthusiasm, endorsements, and her message that’s focused on service and accountability, Outten’s kickoff reinforced that District 7 is already shaping up to have a strong favorite in 2026.

Community Rallies After Theft of Car Containing Hundreds of Care Kits for Wicomico Residents in Need

By CSES Staff • October 8, 2025
An act of inhumanity in Salisbury has sparked an outpouring of compassion. Early on Oct. 5, community organizer Jared Schablein’s car was stolen from his backyard. Inside the vehicle were hundreds of care kits assembled just days earlier during Megan Outten’s Wicomico County Council District 7 campaign kickoff event. Packed by volunteers at Salisbury’s Poplar Hill Mansion, the kits contained feminine hygiene products, socks, and toiletries meant for Wicomico County residents facing housing insecurity. “Those kits were meant for neighbors in need,” said Schablein. “If nothing else, I hope whoever took them returns them. Getting those care kits to the folks who need them matters more to me than anything else.” Schablein and Outten have turned the theft into action, launching a new effort called the “Care Kits Comeback Drive.” The event, scheduled for Oct. 12 at 2pm at Poplar Hill Mansion, aims to replace every lost kit, and more. Volunteers are asked to bring or donate items such as sanitary wipes, socks, toothpaste, period products, and underwear. Donations will support the Wicomico County Library, Help and Outreach Point of Entry, and other local service organizations. In announcing the new drive, Schablein emphasized the deeper meaning behind the effort: “When acts of inhumanity happen, the best response is acts of humanity. We’re showing that Salisbury’s compassion can’t be stolen.” Despite the setback, organizers say community support has been overwhelming. Donations began arriving within hours of the announcement, and several local groups have offered to distribute supplies once the new kits are complete. The theft is still under investigation by the Salisbury Police Department. As one volunteer put it at the last event, “Community isn’t guaranteed, it’s built.” This Sunday, Salisbury will build it again.

Momentum Builds to Save Connelly Mill Park: Community Leaders and State Officials Unite Around Vision for Wicomico’s “Central Park”

By CSES Staff • October 8, 2025
What began as a grassroots campaign to preserve a parcel of local land has become one of the most inspiring community movements on the Eastern Shore. Led by residents James and Mikele Dahlen and Holly Campbell, alongside dozens of volunteers, the Save Connelly Mill Park effort reached a significant milestone last week as Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz toured the site with local and state officials to explore opportunities for partnership and permanent protection. On Sept. 23, citizens gathered at Connelly Mill Park with a delegation of state and county leaders, including Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, Del. Barry Beauchamp, County Council President John Cannon, Vice President Jeff Merritt, Councilman James Winn, and local municipal representatives from Delmar and Salisbury. The tour marked the strongest signal to date that the state may play an active role in turning the park’s long-promised vision into reality. Advocates for Save Connelly Mill Park presented Kurtz with a booklet outlining the site’s environmental, historical, and economic importance. The presentation highlighted Connelly Mill’s potential to become a keystone of Wicomico’s park system — protecting the Paleochannel aquifer, preserving wildlife habitats, and providing much-needed green space for recreation and community gathering. Located just five miles from Salisbury, the 234-acre property has rolling forest, wetlands, and unique topography that advocates say could one day make it the “Central Park of Wicomico County.” “The natural beauty of Connelly Mill spoke for itself,” said one organizer after the event. “What we have here is not just land, it’s a promise to future generations.” Adding to the momentum, the community’s advocacy materials were presented directly to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore the next day at the Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield, where he was briefed on the citizens’ efforts and growing local support. The proposed park would provide walking trails, open space for families, and educational opportunities while safeguarding vital water resources and promoting mental, physical, and social well-being for county residents. For many, the movement to save Connelly Mill has come to represent more than just one park. It’s about accountability, long-term planning, and ensuring public commitments to community spaces are kept. “We’re not out of the woods yet,” the group shared in a recent update. “But the spotlight is on Connelly Mill, and the momentum is growing.” As the state evaluates whether to designate Connelly Mill as a Partnership Park, supporters say they will continue to meet with officials and rally community engagement to ensure this once-forgotten project finally fulfills its promise. If realized, Connelly Mill would not only protect vital natural resources — it would stand as testament to what determined citizens can build when they refuse to give up.
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