Letter to Aaron Willard regarding enslaved man

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


About this item

When Elizabeth Freeman (“Mum Bett”), an enslaved woman in Sheffield, Massachusetts, successfully sued for her freedom in 1781, she set gears in motion for challenging the existence of slavery in Massachusetts and declaring it unconstitutional, but the institution was never officially abolished in this state. When Gilbert Speakman wrote to Aaron Willard in 1788 about Jube’s intentions to leave his master, the legal issues regarding the institution of slavery in Massachusetts were still murky and confusing. It appears that Jube had left his “Master Joshua,” considered retuning to him, but changed his mind and chose to remain with Speakman. Aaron Willard was reminded that if Jube decided to move on, Speakman would try to convince him to stay but Speakman no longer had any “authority” to retain Jube or return him to “Master Joshua”.

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Details

Item typeLetter
AuthorSpeakman, Gilbert W.[arner]
Date1788-07-10
PlaceBoston, Massachusetts
TopicAfrican American, Black Life
Slavery, Indenture
EraThe New Nation, 1784–1815
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatHandwriting
Dimension detailsProcess Material: manuscript, paper, ink Height: 8.50 in Width: 6.50 in
Catalog #L04.069
View this item in our curatorial database →
Speakman, Gilbert W.[arner]. Letter to Aaron Willard regarding enslaved man. July 10, 1788. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l04-069/. Accessed on October 10, 2024.

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