Reading Guide for Myne Owne Ground
Chapter 1
 List some of the characteristics of Anthony Johnson’s life and family and discuss some of
the possible larger implications of each. (For example: when he arrived in Virginia
sometime in 1621, he was referred to simply as “Antonio a Negro.” What is the larger
implication of this fact?) List as many characteristics as possible.
 Was Anthony an indentured servant or a slave? Evidence?
 Is there evidence of strong kinship ties among Africans in early colonial America? If so,
what are they?
Chapter 2
 What problems are involved in questions about the origins of slavery?
 What characterizes the relationships between blacks and whites and between all people
on Virginia’s Eastern Shore?
 How can we interpret the laws about gun ownership? What factors, other than race, seem
to have made a difference in the way Virginians enforced the laws?
 What is significant about the cases of runaways?
 What factors were involved in creating an atmosphere conducive to slavery in Colonial
America?
Chapter 3
 How did Virginia’s geography affect social and political relationships?
 What things might have discouraged slavery in early Colonial America?
 Describe the influence of large planters.
 Describe the living conditions of small planters.
 Describe the living conditions and status of indentured servants and slaves.
Chapter 4:
 How did blacks obtain their freedom?
 What motivations were at work with whites “making freedom achievable”? What does
this tell you of Colonial American Slavery? Of colonial American society?
 What were the conditions of life for free blacks? Racial distinctions between blacks and
whites?
 What was the economic life of a free black?
 What was the importance of family to free blacks?
 What rights did free blacks have? What rights didn’t they have?
 What were the relations between blacks? What can one say about the black community
at this time?
 When did attitudes towards free blacks begin to change? Why? What evidence do we
have?
With thanks to Professor Shepburn, Radford University.)