Part of that sparked my memory. We are dealing with families here in many if not most cases, at least the big players. Learning from history an annals of royal and noble families, the ones most likely to kill you, are your own brothers or sisters because of succession. Now it may not be as prevalent today as it once way, but it may still be a factor in some cases. Who inherits the levers of power and control of the wealth for the big well connected families? There has to be some competition I would think.
Sorry for the typos, they drive me nuts.
How about this?
Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson (b. c. 1600 – d. 1670) was a black Angolan known for achieving freedom and wealth in the early 17th-century Colony of Virginia. He was one of the first African American property owners and had his right to legally own a slave recognized by the Virginia courts. Held as an indentured servant in 1621, he earned his freedom after several years, and was granted land by the colony.[1]
He later became a successful tobacco farmer in Maryland. He attained great wealth after completing his term as an indentured servant, and has been referred to as "'the black patriarch' of the first community of Negro property owners in America".[1]
Turns out, that in the past, even back into the long past, indentured servitude was a thing. You served seven years and then you were free.
This guy, Johnson, was the first slave owner in America because he went to court to MAKE it that way. So send your thanks to him.