James Boisclair
American gold miner
James Boisclair was an African American merchant and gold miner who achieved notable fame and success during the Georgia Gold Rush. Boisclair was known as "Free Jim" and was highly regarded at the time for his entrepreneurial work and part-time efforts as a preacher.
Early life
James was born on the plantation of Daniel Grant in Wilkes County, Georgia around 1795. James was born into slavery, but Grant specified in his will that his slaves should be freed after reaching a certain age (31 for men, 28 for women). In 1814, James was sold to Michael Boisclair of Augusta, Georgia, where he remained until he was freed in 1826.
Dahlonega and the gold rush
Boisclair arrived in Dahlonega, Georgia in 1833 during the Georgia Gold Rush, and opened a small shop, and started searching for gold. While panning for gold, Boisclair found an impressive vein of ore. As a black man in the Antebellum South, he was not able to legally buy the plot of land for a gold mine. Instead, he was able to get Joseph Singleton, the head of the Dahlonega Mint, to take legal ownership of the lot while Boisclair maintained de facto control. Boisclair began Gold panning at his mine, and used the gold dust he collected to build the largest general store in Dahlonega, Georgia.
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