▁part ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁stress ▁created ▁by ▁their ▁ten uous ▁financial ▁situation . ▁After ▁inher iting ▁his ▁father ' s ▁deb ts ▁upon ▁his ▁death , ▁Rand olph ▁had ▁strugg led ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁his ▁younger ▁sib lings ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁growing ▁family . ▁The ▁Virgin ian ▁economic ▁situation ▁suffered ▁several ▁blow s , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁Rand olph ' s ▁lands ▁were ▁worth ▁far ▁less ▁than ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁when ▁he ▁inherited ▁them . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁in ▁des per ation , ▁the ▁Rand olph s ▁had ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁main ▁property , ▁Edge hill , ▁along ▁with ▁its ▁cro ps , ▁buildings , ▁animals , ▁and ▁slaves , ▁and ▁even ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁enough ▁money ▁to ▁pay ▁back ▁all ▁the ▁family ' s ▁credit ors . ▁O pp osed ▁to ▁sla very ▁on ▁principle , ▁the ▁Rand olph s ▁attempted ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁slaves ' ▁families ▁together , ▁but ▁facing ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁dis per se ▁the ▁community ▁that ▁lived ▁on ▁their ▁land , ▁Mar tha ▁wrote ▁that ▁" The ▁dis com fort ▁of ▁sla very ▁I ▁have ▁bor ne ▁all ▁my ▁life , ▁but ▁it ' s ▁sor rows ▁in ▁all ▁their ▁bit tern ess ▁I ▁had ▁never ▁before ▁conce ived ." ▁ ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁his ▁property ▁was ▁hum ili ating ▁for ▁Rand olph , ▁since ▁in ▁Virgin ian ▁society ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁men ▁had ▁to ▁own ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁land ▁before ▁being ▁allowed ▁to ▁hold