If you owned slaves would you free them?

[Stratego]

Let's say that you were transported back to a time slave owning was still practiced. You just inherited your father's cotton plantation, one of the largest and most successful plantations in the South. The community adored your father because he was an outstanding guy (besides the whole owning slaves thing and treating them like how an average slave owner would treat their slaves) and his business is a major part of the economy. However, slave owning wasn't as free of controversy as it seemed. There is a lot of pressure from the North to free the slaves. You have your current feelings about slavery, but there is a high level of uncertainty on the results of your decision.

Given the scenario above, would you have freed your slaves?

[Spider]

Depends on how hot she was.

[The Dude]

[Stratego]

[The dane]

[The Comrade]

how would i inherit my fathers plantation if i went back in time? my father would still be living in the present.

[PoS]

I'd do this:

[Dennis]

I think this is actually a tough call to make. I would want to free them, but I'm living in a place and time that does not accept that.

My answer is that I would take it in baby-steps, with the ultimate goal of freeing them. I would first begin treating them better than any typical slave was treated, with good living conditions and no whippings. This would begin the process of awareness throughout the community of a different possibility, but not going so far as to be too shocking and result in them and/or me swinging from a tree.

I would continue to assess the situation and our safety, leverage any change in direction that others are taking (possibly resulting from how they see me doing things a bit differently), and move closer to the goal of freeing them, even if that means helping them to access/build an underground railroad.

[eynon81]

[nordictruce]

probably not