Oaklands Unveils the Untold Stories of the Maney Slaves

Oaklands Mansion is pleased to make public the names and life stories of enslaved African Americans who likely lived on the plantations owned by the Maney family, one of Tennessee’s largest owners in the 1860s.

Previously, very little research had been devoted to the African Americans enslaved by the Maney family. However, Oaklands’ launch of a new 2021 initiative seeks to bring these individuals’ stories to the forefront via “The Untold Stories” project. “The Untold Stories project attempts to give a voice to 87 African Americans who have been overlooked by history,” said James Manning, executive director. “The initiative names each individual believed to have been enslaved on the Maneys’ plantation and their descendants. This new research broadly increases our knowledge of the African American community in Murfreesboro both during the Civil War and beyond.”

The project was researched and written by recent Middle Tennessee State University graduate, Audrey Creel. “These stories of struggle and triumph are inspiring, and I’m pleased to have had a part in making them known to the public,” said Creel. “However, this is just the beginning. We welcome those in the community who have additional information or family histories about these individuals to share them with us.”

The public is invited to view “The Untold Stories” project by visiting oaklandsmansion.org and accessing the Slavery dropdown menu. If you have further information about individuals enslaved on the Maney plantations, please contact James Manning at Oaklands Mansion.