7. Wade Hampton II
Wade Hampton II was the patriarch of one of America’s most powerful dynasties, presiding over more than 3,000 enslaved people and vast plantations in South Carolina and Mississippi. His wealth and influence were nearly unparalleled, and he used his political power to defend and perpetuate the institution of slavery. Hampton’s legacy is not just one of staggering fortune but also of deep complicity in a system of oppression that shaped the South for generations. His story highlights how economic and political might often worked hand in hand to sustain slavery. Source
