Joshua_John_Ward
Joshua John Ward
American politician
Joshua John Ward, of Georgetown County, South Carolina, is known as the largest American slaveholder,[1] dubbed "the king of the rice planters".[2]
In 1850 he held 1,092 slaves;[2] Ward was the largest slaveholder in the United States before his death in 1853. In 1860 his heirs (his estate) held 1,130 or 1,131 slaves.[1][2]
The Brookgreen Plantation, where he was born and later lived, has been preserved. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1992. The house and plantation are now part of a park called Brookgreen Gardens.