Milicent Slaughter

When Millicent Slaughter was born on March 6, 1736, in Orange, Virginia, her father, Col Francis, was 35, and her mother, Anne, was 27. She had five brothers and four sisters. She died on May 1, 1758, in Virginia at the age of 22.


Millicent Slaughter lived in Virginia in 1758, when Americans were caught up in the turmoil of the French and Indian War.

The French and Indian War brought a vicious nine-year conflict to North America’s doorstep. Can you imagine?

For decades French and English settlers fought over land in the New World. These increasingly violent clashes culminated into a nine-year fight for continental domination starting in 1754. The brutal conflict united British troops and American colonists against the Native Americans and French. Settlers were vulnerable during the war and their houses were burned and property stolen. Food staples and British goods were taken for the war effort, leaving colonists empty-handed. As ties to their communities and cities began to be more meaningful than ties to Britain, the presence of British soldiers on American soil caused settlers to question their connection to the Crown. The uncertainty of a war led by British troops—increasingly seen as foreign—made Americans desire greater control of their own affairs. Though the British defeated the French in 1763 and effectively pushed them off the continent, the stage was set for revolution just a decade later.

The war wreaked havoc on the lives of Native Americans. Many relied on trade with the French, but after they were defeated, Native Americans turned to the British who—they quickly found—were hungry for their land. About 1764, Pennsylvania. Credit: MPI/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Though Native Americans were blamed for most attacks on civilians during the French and Indian War, the British and French were equally guilty. Many were killed inside their own homes. Deerfield, Massachusetts. Credit: Fotosearch/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Compared to their British brethren across the pond, American colonists enjoyed relative prosperity and freedom. The vast majority lived in rural farming villages on their own property–less than 10 percent lived in cities. Family farms dominated the north. Large plantations that grew cash crops like tobacco and rice dominated the mid-Atlantic and southern landscape. Thousands of African slaves were imported each year for labor, and by 1750, outnumbered white settlers in some colonies (like South Carolina) by thousands. As the British Empire thrived, taxes and imperial interference in local politics were minimal, allowing provincials the space to create their own unique identity. However, this changed in 1763 when the French and Indian War left the British deeply in debt. Taxes were raised to replenish the royal coffers and colonists were forced to house British soldiers still stationed in the New World, eventually prompting the outbreak of the American Revolution.

Colonial women mostly worked inside the home, preparing meals and raising children. During the period, many also participated in cottage industry, spinning yarn that would be woven into textiles. About 1790. Credit: Universal Images Group/Getty Images

I am sure Millicent was doing these same things in here time.

In general, American colonists used the English system of currency: pounds, shillings, and pence. The U.S. dollar didn’t come into being until 1785 when the Continental Congress made it the new country’s official money. December 31, 1763, New Jersey. Credit: Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images

 Millicent did live long enough and I am not sure the cause of death. She did however get married to Edward Thomas. It is not known if they had children.

Orange County was created 1 February 1734 from Spotsylvania County.
County seat (Source: Familysearch.org) 

Source: 

• Joyner, Ulysses P. The First Settlers of Orange County, Virginia: A View of the Life and Times of the European Settlers of Orange County, Virginia, and Their Influence Upon the Young James Madison, 1700-1776. Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1987. FHL Collection

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