Benjamin Taylor’s will ordered that enslaved families be kept together

Evidence

I told Dr. Taylor about the event, and he also thought that was important—a good sign. He suggested another date that coincided with his granddaughter’s graduation—but he insisted this was more important. I was touched by that. He was nearing one hundred years old, so I also knew I was working against time. I shared my research with him on that call that led me to conclude that Renty did not have an adversarial relationship with the Taylor family, summing up a line in Benjamin Taylor’s will that stood out to me: “In the division of my Negros amongst my children, I desire that, as far as practical, families be kept together, and that old and infirmed Negros be permitted to go with their families and be kindly treated.” — Tamara Lanier, From These Roots, 443

Categorization

• DEFINE: The will clause is a concrete legal document artifact; the term ‘dying declaration’ is used loosely here, and the passage shows Lanier’s reading of a legal text.