Joshua John Ward, of

Georgetown County, South Carolina Georgetown County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 63,404. Its county seat is Georgetown. The county was founded in 1769. It is named for George III of the United Kingdom. Geo ...

, is known as the largest American slaveholder,The Sixteen Largest American Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules
, Transcribed by Tom Blake, April to July 2001, (updated October, 2001 and December 2004 – now includes 19 holders) dubbed "the king of the rice planters"."Boundaries and Opportunities: Comparing Slave Family Formation in the Antebellum South"
Damian Alan Pargas, ''Journal of Family History'', 2008; 33; 316, In 1850 he held 1,092 slaves; Ward was the largest slaveholder in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

before his death in 1853. In 1860 his heirs (his estate) held 1,130 or 1,131 slaves. The Brookgreen Plantation, where he was born and later lived, has been preserved. It was designated as a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

in 1992. The house and plantation are now part of a park called

Brookgreen Gardens Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve, located just south of Murrells Inlet, in South Carolina. The property includes several themed gardens featuring American figurative sculptures, the Lowcountry Zoo, and trails throu ...

Family history

Ward was born November 24, 1800, at his parents' Brookgreen Plantation, South Carolina, the son of Joshua Ward, a planter and banker, and his wife Elizabeth Cook. Ward was married March 14, 1825, in South Carolina to Joanna Douglas Hasell. They lived with their family chiefly at Brookgreen Plantation. Ward died there on February 27, 1853.Joshua John Ward / Joanna Douglas Hasell
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Career

Born into the elite planter class, Ward was taught the skills and knowledge for taking on such responsibilities as an adult. He was likely tutored at home as part of his education. During his life, he inherited Brookgreen Plantation and acquired several others. All were used for

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

production, which was the major commodity crop in antebellum South Carolina. He also bought more enslaved African Americans as laborers for these plantations. He became politically active in the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, which was dominated by the planter elite in the antebellum years. Ward was elected as the 44th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, serving from 1850 to 1852 under Governor John Hugh Means.

Legacy

Brookgreen Plantation has been preserved as part of Brookgreen Gardens park. The plantation and contributing buildings was designated as a

in 1992, after having been listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1978.

References

Ben Horry, Lowcountry Lives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Joshua John 1800 births 1853 deaths Lieutenant Governors of South Carolina People from Georgetown, South Carolina American slave owners South Carolina Democrats 19th-century American politicians