John S. Thorne (ca.1840-1904), a Black businessman and entrepreneur, was called a "Black King of Edisto" for his efforts to make land-owners of formerly-enslaved Edisto Islanders. Acting as agent for groups of Black men and women and using the monies they entrusted to him, Thorne purchased four plantations totaling over 1,300 acres. He then had the plantations subdivided and the subdivisions redistributed to each of his "investors" in proportion to...