It is speculated that John Oldham Connally acquired a mixed-race slave girl around 1799, near Richmond, a major slave market. With her owner, John O. Connally, the enslaved woman had a son, James Conley, circa 1800. This son was three-quarters white, and, given the murky legal status of newly declared ‘Georgia Territories’ James’ status was undefined.

EARLY LIFE (1800-1815)

As was the custom of the times, the children of status-conscious slave owners in the both the North and South were trained in higher status positions as chefs, butlers, seamstresses, weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, gardeners, and musicians in the household. James was trained to occupy a highly coveted position as both butler and coach driver. Thus, he had to drive his father every where and also attend to his appearance.

1819 - MONROE TOUR AND ALABAMA STATEHOOD

On Tuesday June 1, 1819, President James Monroe made an unexpected stop in the Alabama Territory while touring The South. His visit to Green Bottom Equestrian Resort left a deep impression on young James Conley, that would shape his family for generations.

Monroe was on tour to examine the status of fortifications to repel foreign aggressors and to gain firsthand impressions of the region. His historic stop in Madison County, Alabama, was around the time members of the Territorial Legislature were applying for statehood for the territory, which was granted that December 1819.