John Armfield

John Armfield (1797 – September 20, 1871) was an American slave trader. He was the co-founder of Franklin & Armfield, "the largest slave trading firm" in the United States. He was of English descent.

In this period, many whites were moving into the Southeast and the federal government began Indian Removal. The cotton gin had made short-staple cotton profitable and there was strong demand for enslaved Africans in the domestic slave trade as workers for clearing and development of new plantations throughout this territory.

They were enormously successful and became two of the wealthiest men in the country. Franklin and Armfield were abusive to enslaved Africans and joked with each other in letters in coded language about the young enslaved women they were raping. Having gained enormous wealth, the two men dissolved the partnership in 1835 and sold the business to one of their agents, George Kephart.

Armfield retired to Middle Tennessee in 1835. Franklin had also bought plantations in that area, establishing Fairvue Plantation in Gallatin, Tennessee, and additional lands in Louisiana and Texas.

Armfield settled Gruetli, a Swiss settlement in Grundy County, Tennessee. In 1855, he developed the resort of Beersheba Springs in Grundy County, Tennessee, which attracted wealthy patrons. It still is operating.