4. Family and Protection
Many Black slaveowners acquired slaves not for profit, but to protect loved ones. Restrictive laws often made it difficult or impossible to grant legal freedom, so free Black individuals sometimes purchased spouses, children, or extended family members to shield them from sale or abuse by white owners. These enslaved relatives were often kept as legal property, as manumission laws in some states required costly fees or imposed outright bans on freeing slaves (via National Park Service).
