Antebellum Slavery Although most people in western Virginia were engaged in farming and livestock operations in which slavery was not economical, there were parts of the region which did use slave labor. In addition to the small farms, the South Branch, Greenbrier, Monongahela, and Kanawha valleys also consisted of larger farms of tobacco and other cash crops which used slaves. In 1860, there were 490,308 slaves (approximately 30% of the total population) in eastern Virginia belong to 48,308 slaveholders, …showed first 75 words of 363 total…

…showed last 75 words of 363 total…slaves were usually leased and insured rather than bought due to the risk of death or injury in the coal mines. The failure of slavery to become as vital and profitable to the western Virginia economy led many to the opinion that the existence of slavery actually harmed the economy and discouraged immigrants from settling in the region. Abolitionists such as Henry Ruffner based their beliefs on economic and political ramifications rather than moral arguments.