Bill of sale for an enslaved boy named Prince

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From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information


About this item

Enslaved people made up about four per cent of the population of 18th century New England where enslavers generally held one or two “negroe servants” in bondage. They often worked alongside their enslavers and resided in the same house, but they were not considered equal household members. Even in church, ensalved people sat separately from the rest of the congregation. Prince was about nine years old when he became the property of Israel Williams. Children were often destined for the middle and northern colonies, as they were not fit for the grueling work of producing sugar in the Caribbean islands. Also, enslavers believed that a child would learn English more easily, adapt more quickly, and develop stronger loyalties to an enslaver and his family.

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Details

Item typeLegal Documents
AuthorWilliams, Jr., Ephraim (1715-1755)
Date1750-09-25
PlaceHatfield, Massachusetts
TopicSlavery, Indenture
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
Revolutionary America, 1763–1783
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatHandwriting
Dimension detailsProcess Material: manuscript, paper, ink Height: 5.50 in Width: 8.00 in
Catalog #L00.074
View this item in our curatorial database →
Williams, Jr., Ephraim (1715-1755). Bill of sale for an enslaved boy named Prince. September 25, 1750. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l00-074/. Accessed on October 15, 2024.

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