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Slavery

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources

Found in 19 Collections and/or Records:

Collection of Spanish Language Manuscripts

 Collection
Identifier: Mss. 1.16
Scope and Contents

Includes printed and manuscript material written in Spanish and originating from Spain and Spanish-speaking countries in North America and South America. The collection is currently being processed and new items will be added on an ongoing basis. For this reason, the indicated date range is approximate at this point. This collection has multiple creators, which have not been indexed at this time.

Dates: 1551-1858, circa 1870s

Consulado de S. M. Catolica en Jamaica letters

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01788
Content Description

Four letters from the Letters sent from the offices of the Consulado de S. M. Catolica en Jamaica to the Capitan General de la Isla de Cuba. They were written by consular officers Antonio Brosa and Carlos Duquesnay. Brosa and Duquesnay report on "disorder" and "disruptions" they attribute to enslaved people and "los emancipados."

Dates: March 28th, 1839 - August 23rd, 1842

Conway D. Whittle letter

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01857
Content Description

Letter to Richmond, Virginia slave traders Davis, Deupree and Co., from Virginia physician Conway Davies Whittle inquiring about the rates of sale of 24 enslaved persons owned by Whittle. Age, gender, complexion, and skills are mentioned to describe the enslaved people.

Dates: 1860 November 2

Document of Enslaved Persons in Peru

 Collection — Box Small Collections Box 103, Folder: 1
Identifier: SC 01443
Content Description

Two page document written in Spanish of an agreement to purchase two enslaved persons in the colony of Peru in 1561. Included in the agreement are illustrations of the unique identifying brands on the legs of the two individuals.

Dates: 1561

Henry F. Beaumont Journal of a Voyage to North America, 1817-1818

 Collection
Identifier: 01675
Scope and Contents Beaumont's journal details his transatlantic voyage from England to the United States, with stops in New York and finally Richmond, Virginia. Accompanied by his brother William, Beaumont gives a detailed account of his journey. He describes extreme seasickness (pg. 2-3); surviving through an Atlantic Ocean hurricane (pg. 3); the abundant marine life, including whales, sharks, cod, and other large fish; information sharing with other passing ships; confusion about their ship's exact location...
Dates: 1817-1818

Jamaica Plantation Strike Letter

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01706
Content Description

A one page letter with a cover sheet from a plantation in Jamaica that mentions a strike. Signed, but the name is hard to make out. Most likely James Townson, but "Thomas" is written in the lower left.

Dates: February 14th, 1842

James Harrell Account Book

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01033
Scope and Contents Account book, 1831-1840, of the estate of James Harrell of Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Harrell died in 1823, and the administrator of his estate is James Sinclair. The account book has separate pages for each of Harrell's minor children: Elizabeth T. Harrell, Joseph L. Harrell, and Sarah Ann P. Harrell. Includes amounts spent on tuition at various schools, lists of books purchased, and taxes paid on Harrell's estate. There are also lines for the hiring of slaves to work on Harrell's...
Dates: 1831-1840

John Morris Letter to G. W. Randolph

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01417
Scope and Contents

One page letter concerning the death of a servant man who died while working on the fortifications around Richmond, VA for the Confederacy.

Dates: November 8, 1864

John S. Barret Journal

 Collection
Identifier: SC 00082
Scope and Contents

Journal of John S. Barret, plantation owner in Alabama.  Barret writes extensively about his farm, weather conditions, crop harvests and livestock.  Some entries record hunting opportunities and their results.  One page lists all of the slaves born to his plantation since 1802 and the woman they were born to.  Another entry records the sadness of the untimely death of his friend, William Aylett.

Dates: 1814-1850

Letter from an Enslaved Individual in Richmond, Virginia, undated

 File — Box 3, Folder: 10
Scope and Contents An undated, unsigned fragment of a letter from an enslaved individual, presumably male, living in Richmond, Virginia. As a child, the writer lived in Williamsburg, Virginia, owned by the Slater family. He refers to living in Williamsburg and being friends with Ludwell, who he used to carry around town on his back. He shares other memories of growing up in Williamsburg, including a fight he had with Amner Walker.Other references in the letter suggest that he was...
Dates: undated

Manuscripts - Geographic Names, Business Names and Subjects

 Collection
Identifier: Mss. 39.2 Man3b
Scope and Contents

An artificial collection of papers created from material acquired during the 1930's and 1940's.

Dates: 1725-1949

Thomas Y. Pass correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01784
Content Description

January 28, 1857 letter written by Thomas Y. Pass to Alan Womack asking for instructions on what he should do with the enslaved children Womack left at his house. Pass writes that he does not want the children without their mother, and he has had "trouble enough" with them.

Content warning for derogatory language directed towards children enslaved, allusions to child abuse, mentions of buying and selling humans.

Dates: January 28, 1857

Daniel Payne estate inventory

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01811
Content Description

A 10 page estate account inventory record by Daniel Payne, the executor of Lawrence Washington's estate, Wakefield Plantation in Westmoreland Co., VA. The inventory names 18 enslaved people. 3 unnamed enslaved children are also listed. Also included is a postcard with an image of Wakefield.

Dates: 1843 - 1844; 1935

Randolph Family papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS 00372
Content Description The Randolph Family Papers contains correspondence and financial documents relating to Isham Randolph (1771-1844), first cousin of Thomas Jefferson, David Coupland Randolph (1804-1886), son of Isham Randolph, Isham Randolph Page (1834-1923), nephew of Isham Randolph and Judith Randolph Swann (Circa 1815-1870), sister of Isham Randolph. Materials document daily financial activities such as the hiring and buying of enslaved people, and Isham Randolph's role as an officer at the James River...
Dates: 1796-1882

Rev. James M. Priest Letters

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01705
Content Description

2 letters, a total of five pages, written by Rev. James M. Priest to Rev. Daniel Wells, and Hon. Walter Lowrie respectively. Rev. Priest was a formerly enslaved person, freed on the condition that he emigrate as a missionary to Africa. In both letters, Rev. Priest complains about the lack of funds being provided to his mission and the school he founded in Liberia.

Dates: September 22nd, 1843 - October 8th, 1853

Puerto Rico Slave Documents

 Collection
Identifier: SC 01347
Content Description

Three slave registries from Puerto Rico written in Spanish dated 1868, 1869, and 1871. The names of the enslaved individuals are not known, but descriptions of each, including race and age as well as their enslavers' names, are listed on the documents.

Dates: 1868-1871

Timberneck Farm ledgers

 Collection
Identifier: MS 00388
Content Description

The Timberneck Farm Ledgers collection contains 11 ledgers including records of estate in relation to Timberneck Farm in Gloucester, Virginia as well as doctor's ledgers. The collection also includes school notes, essays and a Gloucester Charity School ledger.

Dates: 1832-1876

Virginia probate inventories of enslaved people

 Collection
Identifier: SC 00634
Scope and Contents

This collection contains nine Virginia probate inventories listing the assets of several estates, including enslaved men and women. Each inventory lists the names of enslaved persons, their gender, and an approximate age range, usually "between 12 and 50 years of age." One of the inventories lists property owned by a woman.

Dates: 1815 April 1

John White Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS 00125
Scope and Contents This collection includes correspondence, personal and managed accounts, and legal papers of John White. Ranging in date from 1757-1843, with the bulk of the papers taking place from 1810-1830. From these papers, it appears that John White was a lawyer who practiced in Northampton County, North Carolina and the surrounding area. The buying, selling, and loaning of enslaved persons is a pervasive theme in his personal papers. As a result of his work managing accounts, he has many warrants...
Dates: 1757-1843