Major John Boone’s illegal Native American slave empire in early Carolina

Major John Boone’s Slave Trading and Plantation Empire

Major John Boone got rich the wrong way in 1670s South Carolina. He came as an early settler, got 470 acres as a wedding gift, and soon joined the Grand Council.

Yet his real business was selling Native Americans as slaves. In fact, he got kicked off the council twice for this crime plus hiding pirate loot.

Still, Boone kept local jobs and built a family fortune that lasted. His sons took over when he died, and the place never shut down.

Today, Boone Hall Plantation stands as one of America’s oldest working plantations, where you can see nine original slave cabins that tell the dark truth behind its founding.

John Boone Came to Carolina in 1672 as One of the First English Settlers

John Boone reached South Carolina colony in 1672, joining the first wave of English settlers trying to get a foothold in the New World.

The eager newcomer got his first 100 acres that same year while serving as an Ensign. Boone quickly set himself up among Carolina’s earliest colonists.

He picked a spot near Charleston’s growing port and trading networks, putting himself in the perfect place to profit from the colony’s business chances.

His Marriage Got Him a 470-Acre Wedding Gift

Boone married Elizabeth Patey in 1681, daughter of rich colonist Theophilus Patey.

This marriage came with a great wedding gift from his new father-in-law: 470 acres of good land that became Boone Hall Plantation.

The property sat along Wampacheone Creek (now called Wando River) in Christ Church Parish, giving Boone access to key waterways for moving goods.

Through this marriage, Boone got both land and helpful connections in colonial society.

The Colony Trusted Him With Big Jobs

By April 1683, Boone won election to the colonial Grand Council, showing his growing pull in the young settlement.

The colony trusted him years earlier, making him Indian interpreter and settling Indian disputes in May 1680. He joined a trip to the Esaugh Indians in 1673 to help solve tribal fights.

Even with later crimes, Boone kept local jobs like tax man and road boss, using these trusted spots to help himself.

Native American Slaves Made More Money Than African Captives

Carolina traders shipped about 24,000 to 51,000 Native American captives between 1670-1715 to different markets.

Settlers liked Native slaves because they could catch them locally instead of paying to bring Africans from overseas.

Boone built his fortune through this illegal people-selling, sending captured Natives to Caribbean markets where buyers wanted them.

These captives ended up in the West Indies, Northern colonies, and Spanish areas, with each sale making Boone richer.

The Council Threw Him Out for Selling People

The colony’s bosses kicked Boone off the Grand Council in September 1685, saying his election broke the rules. Their real worry?

His illegal "moving of Indians" that broke colonial law.

The Proprietors told the Governor to charge both Boone and his friend James Moore if they "keep moving Indians" against the rules. Yet Boone had enough local pull that he won his seat back despite these serious charges.

Pirates Found a Friend in the Respected Councilman

People found out that Boone helped pirates named Chapman and Holloway by giving them supplies and a safe place to stay. He hid stolen stuff from their raids on his plantation, away from nosy people.

The Proprietors got so mad they wrote to Governor James Colleton in March 1687 demanding Boone’s final removal from office.

They made their point clear, saying that "men found guilty of such bad acts must not be chosen again and put back" in power.

His Second Removal Showed a Pattern of Crime

The Grand Council kicked Boone out again in 1687, this time for "working with pirates" and backing their crimes.

The Lords Proprietors clearly felt upset with the Carolina Parliament’s "tendency toward such actions" and allowing corruption.

Despite these crime charges, Boone kept holding other local jobs through his political friends. He showed a clear pattern of using legal positions to help and cover his illegal businesses throughout the colony.

Boone Hall Became Home Base for His Shady Deals

Boone ran his people-selling and pirate support from Boone Hall Plantation, using its spot on waterways to move stolen goods and slaves without getting caught.

His job as Indian interpreter gave him access to Native groups, which he used for slave raids. The clever settler built his wealth through many illegal money streams while keeping a decent public image.

His plantation worked as both real business and cover for his crimes.

His Criminal Empire Created Two Founding Fathers

Boone and his wife Elizabeth became the ancestors of Founding Fathers Edward Rutledge and John Rutledge through family ties.

Their daughter Sarah Boone married Hugh Hext, connecting the family to other powerful Carolina clans. The wealth and land Boone got through criminal acts gave the base for his descendants’ later political power.

His story reveals how early colonial corruption helped create some of America’s most important founding families.

Five Children Split His Ill-Gotten Gains

When Boone died around 1711, he split his plantation among his wife and five children, sharing his wealth with his heirs. His oldest son Thomas got the main estate and made Boone Hall his home.

The criminal business changed into a "proper" plantation running on slave work under the next generation.

Thomas planted the famous oak tree lane in 1743 that still marks the plantation today, making a grand entrance to the estate built on his father’s crimes.

The Plantation Still Stands After 350 Years

Boone Hall became one of America’s oldest continuously operating plantations, running for over 350 years at the site where Boone’s criminal empire first took root.

The plantation’s success grew directly from the foundation of his illegal slave trafficking profits and pirate connections.

Today, the plantation welcomes tourists as a heritage site, though many visitors never learn about the criminal activities that funded its creation.

The oak-lined drive and historic buildings stand as monuments to wealth built through exploitation.

Visiting Boone Hall Plantation, South Carolina

Boone Hall Plantation at 1235 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant tells the story of Major John Boone’s colonial scandal involving illegal Native American slave trafficking and pirate connections.

Adult admission costs $30 and includes guided house tours, tractor plantation tours, Gullah culture presentations, and slave cabin exhibits.

You’ll drive through the famous three-quarter mile Avenue of Oaks with 88 live oak trees. This 738-acre working plantation has grown crops for over 340 years.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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