“A rare type of record of considerable historical
and human interest. . . . The public will find in The Barber
of Natchez a human being of unusual type, treated with compassion
and understanding.”— Journal of
Southern History
In The Barber of Natchez, Edwin Adams Davis and
William Ransom Hogan tell the remarkable story of William
Johnson, a slave who rose to freedom, business success, and
high community standing in the heart of the South—all
before 1850. Emancipated as a young boy in 1820, Johnson became
a barber’s apprentice and later opened several profitable
barber shops of his own. As his wealth grew, he expanded into
real estate and acquired large tracts of nearby farm and timber
land. The authors explore in detail Johnson’s family,
work, and social life, including his friendships with people
of both races. They also examine his wanton murder and the
resulting trial of the man accused of shooting him. More than
the story of one individual, the narrative also offers compelling
insight into the southern code of honor, the apprentice system,
and the ownership of slaves by free blacks.
A new introduction by Ira Berlin explores the historical
impact of The Barber of Natchez since its original
publication in 1954 and analyzes its relevance today. Based
on Johnson’s two-thousand-page diary, letters, and business
records, this extraordinary biography reveals the complicated
life of a freedman in Mississippi and a new perspective on
antebellum Natchez.
“An absorbing tale [that] makes a distinct contribution
to the social and economic history of the Old South. . .
. The book is clearly written, well organized, and thoroughly
informative.”— Southwestern Social
Science Quarterly
“A fascinating and well-written study of an unusual
free Negro in an unusual Mississippi city. The work of the
authors in editing the diary is excellent in every respect.”—
North Carolina Historical Review.
Edwin Adams Davis was the head of the Louisiana
State University Department of Archives. He graduated from
Kansas State Teachers College and received his advanced degrees
at the State University of Iowa and LSU.
William Ransom Hogan was head of the Department
of Archives at LSU and also served as chairman of the history
department at Tulane University. He is the author of The
Texas Republic: A Social and Economic History.
Ira Berlin is the author of Many Thousands
Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America
and Generations of Captivity: A History of African-American
Slaves, winner of the Albert Beveridge Prize, among other
works. He is Distinguished University Professor in the department
of history at the University of Maryland. | 
