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

Easton Pastor Faces Immigration Hearing After Release from ICE Custody

By CSES Staff • September 17, 2025
Easton pastor Daniel Omar Fuentes Espinal, who was detained by federal immigration officials earlier this summer and later released, now has a court date set before a federal immigration judge, according to newly filed records. Fuentes Espinal, 54, has led Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama since 2015 and is widely regarded by neighbors and local officials as a respected community leader. In July, he was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which alleged he overstayed his visa by 25 years after arriving from Honduras. The arrest drew swift reaction from across Maryland. Lawmakers and community members questioned why Fuentes Espinal was detained, noting he had no criminal record. Rep. Glenn Ivey and Sen. Sarah Elfreth reported at the time that his family had not seen him since the arrest, had only limited contact, and feared he would be deported. After weeks of uncertainty, Fuentes Espinal was released on August 15 and reunited with his family. “My family and I are very thankful for all of you,” he said. “I’m very happy to be home with my family and my community. I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you, and God bless everyone.” Friends of the family say he is now working toward legal citizenship, but his case remains unresolved. Federal court records show his first hearing is scheduled for March 31, 2026, in Baltimore. The proceeding, known as a master calendar hearing, marks the initial stage in removal cases. Immigration judges use the session to explain rights and responsibilities to those appearing before the court. According to ICE, if Fuentes Espinal fails to appear, he could be ordered to leave the country. For now, the pastor continues his ministry in Easton, awaiting what is likely to be a lengthy legal process.

Rep. Andy Harris Signs Letter Demanding Investigation of Left-Wing Enemies

By Jan Plotczyk • September 17, 2025
On Sept. 11, a group of ultraright House Republicans delivered a letter to House leadership demanding the formation of a select committee on “the money, influence, and power behind the radical left’s assault on America and the rule of law.” Twenty-three reactionary members of Congress signed the letter, including some of the most extreme right-wingers in the House of Representatives. Among the signers is our own First District congressman, Andrew P. Harris, who’s added his voice to the cacophony demanding that something be done about the so-called left-wing threat to America. The letter was composed quickly after last week’s sniper murder of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing podcaster and campus provocateur. It presents a rationalization for investigating the finances of left-wing organizations and persons by blaming them not only for Kirk’s violent death, but for all manner of other problems ills in the country today: Many attacks on “our way of life” Sustained breakdown of law and order Open borders that allow “illegal aliens” to victimize law-abiding Americans Murders of innocent Americans, prominent and unknown alike Assassination attempts of GOP politicians The solution proposed in the letter is to “follow the money” by investigating such persons and groups as George Soros, the Wren Collective, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the U.N., and radicals and organizations suspected of financing the concerted effort to destroy MAGA America. They want to trace the money that, they claim without evidence, funds “the NGOs, donors, media, public officials, and all entities driving this coordinated attack.” But moderate observers and commentators see a broader aim — the end of free speech when the speaker disagrees with the views of the current ruling party. As expressed by Democracy Docket , a digital news platform, “The Trump administration’s rhetoric around Kirk’s murder and its attempt to link it to progressive causes and groups has raised fears it seeks to use the killing as false justification to further crack down on political speech and opposition politics in the U.S.” Harris and the other letter signers have joined a loud and strident chorus of alt-right voices demanding “justice” by dismantling the liberal and left organizations that they claim are fomenting violence. Also on Sept. 11, President Trump told reporters , "We have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them." On Sept. 15, Vice President Vance called for the mass doxing of anyone celebrating Kirk’s murder. “Call them out. Hell, call their employer.” A growing number of companies are terminating and suspending employees for posting messages critical of Charlie Kirk on social media. Stephen Miller , Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, referred to the Democratic Party as “a vast domestic terror movement” responsible for Kirk’s murder. He said the administration would target those who are “paying for violence.” “With God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks and make America safe again for the American people,” Miller vowed in the Oval Office. “I don’t care how — it could be a RICO charge, a conspiracy charge, conspiracy against the United States, insurrection — but we are going to do what it takes to dismantle the organizations and the entities,” he added. The average American realizes that this sort of language is dangerous. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after Kirk’s murder found that most Americans are worried about political violence and partisan divisions: 63% said the way Americans talk about political issues does "a lot" to encourage violence. 79% said people are less tolerant of opposing viewpoints than they were 20 years ago. 66% said they were concerned over the prospect of violence committed against people in their community because of their political beliefs. 71% said that “American society is broken.” Read the right-wingers’ letter and judge it for yourself:

Princess Anne Commissioner Guilty of Illegal Gun Possession

By CSES Staff • September 17, 2025
Following a jury trial in Somerset County Circuit Court, Princess Anne Town Commissioner Lionel Frederick was convicted on Sept. 10 of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. A former Town Commission president, Frederick was indicted last April in connection with an October 2024 incident in which investigators alleged he had a shotgun in his home. Because of a 2019 conviction for second-degree assault, considered a crime of violence, Frederick was banned from owning or possessing firearms under Maryland law. During Wednesday’s trial, Frederick — as the sole defense witness — testified he did not realize his earlier conviction barred him from keeping the shotgun. He said the weapon had been purchased legally more than 10 years ago and that he had never been told to surrender it. Prosecutors countered that the restriction was clear. The county State’s Attorney’s office produced a probation order from 2019 that prohibited Frederick from having a gun without court authorization. Frederick questioned the authenticity of his signature on the document, going so far as to suggest, “It’s Somerset County. I wouldn’t put it past this court.” After the three-hour trial, jurors deliberated for 30 minutes before finding Frederick guilty on both counts, one a felony for illegal firearm possession and the other a misdemeanor for possessing ammunition unlawfully. Frederick’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2 before Judge Leah Seaton.

Lot 10 Privatization Proceeds, Mayor Randy Taylor Blamed for Wasted Tax Dollars

By CSES Staff • September 17, 2025
Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor’s administration has suffered another setback in court after the city failed in its attempt to block developer Mentis from privatizing the downtown parking lot known as Lot 10. In February 2023, the city sold Lot 10 to Mentis with the understanding that the property would remain a municipal lot until the developer was ready to begin construction of its hotel and conference center. This summer, Mentis announced its intent to convert Lot 10 to a private lot and to collect its own parking revenue. Taylor’s administration responded on Aug. 19 by filing for a temporary restraining order and injunction, claiming Mentis had breached its agreement by attempting to take control of the lot without obtaining the necessary permits. The city argued that public access should remain until redevelopment officially began. On Sept. 12, Wicomico Co. Circuit Court Judge Leah Seaton rejected the city’s request, ruling that Salisbury had failed to prove “irreparable harm,” a necessary condition for an injunction. The ruling means that Mentis is now free to collect parking fees from Lot 10, while taxpayers are left footing the bill for a failed legal maneuver. Critics say Taylor misplayed the case Residents and downtown stakeholders have accused the Taylor administration of mishandling the dispute and wasting public money. Rather than negotiating directly with Mentis or resolving the funding agreement for the redevelopment project, the mayor opted for an aggressive legal strategy, which ended in defeat. “This administration keeps charging ahead with lawsuits it cannot win,” one downtown business owner said. “Meanwhile, the city burns through taxpayer dollars, and we’re no closer to seeing real progress on the hotel and conference center.” Developer signals willingness to proceed Mentis officials, for their part, said the project can move forward if the city finalizes the sub-recipient agreement needed to release grant funding. “If we can get the city to move forward with the sub-recipient agreement, and that opens up the grant funding flowing to the project, we will continue to move forward with the hotel and conference center,” said Mentis’ Nick Simpson. Taylor points fingers Pushing back, the mayor argued that the developer needs to secure financing, site plans, and construction approvals before the project can advance — materials that have already been provided to the city. But to many observers, the back-and-forth underscores a larger problem: a stalled project that continues to pit City Hall against its private partners, with little to show for years of promises. A hearing on the remaining disputes is scheduled for December, but critics say the damage has been done. The court ruling leaves Mentis in control of Lot 10’s parking revenue and the city with another legal bill, raising questions about whether Salisbury’s mayor is fighting the right battles and how many more tax increases city residents will endure to pay for these legal battles.

Tenants Win $11.2 Million Settlement in PG Co., Highlighting Tenant Protection Issues on the Shore

By CSES Staff • September 17, 2025
Tenants of a dangerous, code-violating, bat-, rat-, roach-, and mold-infested apartment complex in Prince George’s County will collect an $11.2 million settlement against the owners and operators of the complex. Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the landmark settlement with Heather Hill Apartments after allegations that the property collected rent without a valid license, dodged code inspections, and tried to evict hundreds of tenants. The settlement is the largest restitution ever obtained by the AG’s Consumer Protection Division in a landlord-tenant case. It will provide debt forgiveness, credits, and cash payments to tenants who paid rent while Heather Hill was unlicensed and requires the company to dismiss pending eviction cases tied to that period. “This settlement provides relief for hundreds of Maryland families who were forced to pay rent while some lived in unsafe conditions,” Brown said. “My office will always hold landlords accountable when they put profits over people’s safety.” The company faces three more lawsuits. Broader implications across Maryland While the Heather Hill case is centered in Prince George’s County, housing advocates note that the issues it raises — unlicensed properties, unsafe living conditions, and tenants struggling without recourse — are not confined to one region. On the Eastern Shore, where affordable housing is limited and oversight often inconsistent, tenant advocates have warned of similar problems. Aging multi-family housing in Salisbury, Cambridge, and Crisfield has drawn complaints about weak code enforcement and unsafe conditions. The Heather Hill settlement underscores that the state will step in when landlords fail to comply with licensing laws. For Shore renters, the precedent could mean stronger accountability in local housing markets, which have long marked shortages and rising costs. Connection to statewide reforms The action also comes just days after Gov. Wes Moore signed his Housing Starts Here executive order to accelerate the construction of affordable homes statewide. Together, the order and the Heather Hill settlement reflect a two-pronged strategy: building more housing while holding existing landlords accountable. For Shore communities, where new housing and stronger enforcement are badly needed, the Heather Hill case signals that state officials are paying closer attention to the conditions renters face, not only in the urban core, but across the state.
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Md. BPW Approves $13 Million for Parks, Community Projects, Land Conservation

By Gren Whitman • September 17, 2025
The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved $13 million in grants from the Department of Natural Resources for local governments and land trusts to support community centers, parks, and land conservation projects in 16 counties, including several on the Eastern Shore. In addition to local recreation projects, the board approved $3.2 million in Rural Legacy funding for conservation easements that permanently limit development to protect farms, waterways, and natural habitats. Among the Eastern Shore investments: Talbot County will receive funding for a new softball field at the Home Run Baker Sports Complex. Caroline County is approved to install new playground equipment at Jesse Sutton Memorial Park in Greensboro. Worcester County will receive funds to build new restrooms at Sturgis Park in Snow Hill. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy will get an award to protect two adjoining properties in Caroline County, covering 220 acres, and safeguarding 7,400 feet of forested stream buffers along tributaries of the Choptank River and preserving scenic views near Preston. In Dorchester County’s Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area, the Conservation Fund will secure an easement on a 121-acre farm, preserving historic landscapes along public roads tied to Tubman’s story and protecting valuable agricultural land. “These projects are about building stronger, healthier communities,” Gov. Wes Moore said during the meeting, underscoring the administration’s focus on expanding recreational opportunities and conserving Maryland’s natural resources. The DNR noted that similar projects were approved in counties across Maryland, ranging from new playgrounds and sports facilities to strategic farmland preservation. Officials emphasized that the funding supports immediate community needs and long-term environmental protections. “These grants reflect our dual mission, creating vibrant spaces for Marylanders today while ensuring our land and water resources are protected for generations to come,” DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz said. As a community organizer, journalist, administrator, project planner/manager, and consultant, Gren Whitman has led neighborhood, umbrella, public interest, and political committees and groups, and worked for civil rights and anti-war organizations.
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