David Hunt | |
|---|---|
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| Born | October 22, 1779 near Trenton, New Jersey |
| Died | May 18, 1861 (aged 81) Jefferson County, Mississippi |
| Resting place | Calviton Plantation cemetery near Rodney, Mississippi |
| Occupation(s) | Planter, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret (Stampley) Hunt Mary (Calvit) Hunt Ann (Ferguson) Hunt |
| Relatives | Abijah Hunt (uncle) |
David Hunt (October 22, 1779 – May 18, 1861) was an American planter based in the Natchez District of Mississippi. From New Jersey in approximately 1800, he took a job in his uncle Abijah Hunt's Mississippi business. After his uncle's untimely 1811 death, as a beneficiary and as the executor of the estate, he began to convert the estate into his plantation empire. By the time of the 1860 slave census, Hunt owned close to 800 slaves. This was after ensuring that each of his five adult children had at least one plantation and had an approximate minimum of 100 slaves apiece. In fact, Hunt and his five adult children and their spouses owned some 1,700 slaves by 1860. He became a major philanthropist in the South, contributing to educational institutions in Mississippi, as well as the American Colonization Society and Mississippi Colonization Society, the latter of which he was a founding member.
Known as "King David," Hunt made a fortune in cotton production and sales. He was one of twelve millionaires residing near Natchez, Mississippi, at a time when there only were 35 millionaires in the entire United States.