We Were Always Free: The Maddens of Culpeper County, Virginia: A 200-Year Family History
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We Were Always Free: The Maddens of Culpeper County, Virginia: A 200-Year Family History

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We Were Always Free: The Maddens of Culpeper County, Virginia: A 200-Year Family HistoryIn August of 1758, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a poor Irish immigrant named Mary Madden bore a child, Sarah Madden, whose father was said to be a slave and the property of Colonel James Madison, father of the future president of the United States. This daughter, though born a free mulatto, became indentured to the Madisons. There she worked as a seamstress to pay off the fine of her birth until she was 31 years old. Sarah Madden bore ten

In August of 1758, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, a poor Irish immigrant named Mary Madden bore a child, Sarah Madden, whose father was said to be a slave and the property of Colonel James Madison, father of the future president of the United States. This daughter, though born a free mulatto, became indentured to the Madisons. There she worked as a seamstress to pay off the fine of her birth until she was 31 years old.

Sarah Madden bore ten children and when the term of her indenture was over, she and her youngest son, Willis, struck out for themselves--Sarah as a seamstress, laundress, and later, with Willis, a dairy farmer and tavern keeper. Stories of Willis and Sarah were passed down in Madden family lore through the generations--their hard work, their business sense, their ability to overcome obstacles, poverty, illiteracy, prejudice. This is the chronicle of those generations, a 200-year history of a kind unusually complete in American history. Two factors make it so--that Sarah Madden and her offspring kept their stories alive, and that they saved hundreds of important documents of their freedom, hardship, and daily work.

These documents came to light in 1949 when author T.O. Madden, Jr. (great great grandson of Sarah Madden) conceived a powerful desire to know more of his bygone generations. He began to investigate, and his search for family brought him to a hidebound trunk originally belonging to his great grandfather Willis. Its contents brought tears to his eyes. Stored there, awaiting discovery, were papers dating back to the mid-eighteenth century, freedom papers, papers of indenture, deeds of land, Sarah Madden's laundry and seamstress record books, letters, traveling passes. In addition, the leather trunk held an exciting, full set of business records for the days of the nineteenth century when Madden's Tavern flourished as a center of activity in Orange County and as a place for travelers to rest on the road to Fredericksburg.

Since that day, T.O. Madden, Jr., has been deeply researching his family, using census reports, other official sources, familly, and friends. All have led to his ably reconstructed family history, and to his own remarkable story. We Were Always Free is a unique and very American family saga.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 06/17/1992
ISBN: 9780393350128
Pages: 256
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.57d
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SKU: 38882632745

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sarah
Los Angeles, US
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Reliable product made with care
quality has been consistently excellent every single time. It’s reliable, tastes great, and you can tell it’s made with care. What really stands out is how it makes me feel afterward. Even after working a 12-hour overtime shift, I don’t feel as exhausted. It genuinely helps me keep my energy up. Highly recommend if you’re looking for something dependable and effective. I’ll definitely keep ordering.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2026
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Lake Worth, US
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Look nice.
These were really nice for canned oysters, way better than what we can get in the stores in our area. Perfect for milk based oyster soup! the ratio is one can of cream of mushroom, one can full of milk, one can of oysters. Add butter, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2025
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Gary T
Natrona Heights, US
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Does the job
Tastes like boiled oysters, so it has that nailed down. I use it in my shrimp ramen noodles sometimes, sometimes I use it to flavor garnish dishes. Best price I could find, but apparently it is a specialty product.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2020
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D'King
Lowell, US
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Unparalleled source of heme iron.
This stuff is medicine if your are anemic or have low serum iron. Elemental iron from veggies or pills must be prepared by your body to carry oxygen in hemoglobin. Not so with iron from animals and oysters are unparalleled in iron content. Even if you don't find them delicious you will find them efficacious.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2025
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AP
Draper, US
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Do not recommend
Edible, though barely. Definitely the worst tasting oysters I've tried of all the brands. Hopefully I don't get food poisoning as has been reported by other reviewers.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2026

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