Anthony Johnson Candyland Coon

Anthony Johnson Candyland Coon

Anthony Johnson Candyland Coon was a plantation-owner who almost single-handedly introduced slavery to the Colony of Virginia; all while running his very own Candyland. Oh, and did I mention he was black?

Not only was Johnson African through-and-through, he was an ex-slave himself. In 1621 he’d been snatched by slave traders and wound up working as an ‘indentured servant’ in Virginia. Now, while ‘indentured servants’ were basically slaves there was one important difference: when their contract expired or was bought out, they were free. That means all the beatings, forced labor and general awfulness had an end in sight—and owners were legally bound to honor it. Thanks to this system, Johnson was able to buy his freedom and eventually set up his own plantation. So when one of his ‘servants’ came to the end of his contract, Johnson let him go, right?

Nope. He took the guy to court and sued for his right to own him for life. The court agreed and, hey presto, suddenly slavery was de-facto legal in Virginia. Six years later, it was on the books and a whole depressing chapter of American history was ushered in—all thanks to one guy who’d apparently never heard of ‘solidarity’.