signed
by Slavery, Cuba
[Slavery and Abolition] Manuscript bill of sale for an enslaved man in Cuba. Dated 1819, with Spanish colonial seal. Cuba, 1819. One-page manuscript slave sale document on colonial-era stamped paper (papel sellado), measuring approximately 8.25 x 12.5 inches. Signed by multiple witnesses, including a militia captain acting as a legal certifier. Handwritten in Spanish, with a prominent Spanish royal seal at the top. The document records the sale of an enslaved Black man named Domingo, transferred from Mariano Dolores to Matías Dulantro for 400 pesos. It specifies that Domingo is being sold "free of all obligation, lien, or mortgage" and guarantees that he is free from hidden illnesses or defects. The seller waives any future legal claims, and the transaction is witnessed and certified by local officials.
This document reflects the entrenched system of chattel slavery in Cuba during the early 19th century, when enslaved Africans and their descendants were vital to the colony’s sugar-based economy. The price of 400 pesos aligns with the increasing market value of enslaved individuals during this period, driven by Cuba’s growing reliance on African labor following the suppression of the transatlantic slave trade. The mention of a militia captain as a legal certifier underscores the military and governmental enforcement of slavery, ensuring property rights for slaveholders. The document is written on papel sellado, a form of official Spanish government paper used for legal transactions, indicating that this sale was recorded within the colonial administration. The text is legible, though ink fading and paper wear are present. Some chipping and staining along the edges, but no loss of content. Overall good condition. A rare and significant legal record of Cuban slavery, providing direct evidence of the commodification of human lives under Spanish colonial rule. (Inventory #: 21349)
This document reflects the entrenched system of chattel slavery in Cuba during the early 19th century, when enslaved Africans and their descendants were vital to the colony’s sugar-based economy. The price of 400 pesos aligns with the increasing market value of enslaved individuals during this period, driven by Cuba’s growing reliance on African labor following the suppression of the transatlantic slave trade. The mention of a militia captain as a legal certifier underscores the military and governmental enforcement of slavery, ensuring property rights for slaveholders. The document is written on papel sellado, a form of official Spanish government paper used for legal transactions, indicating that this sale was recorded within the colonial administration. The text is legible, though ink fading and paper wear are present. Some chipping and staining along the edges, but no loss of content. Overall good condition. A rare and significant legal record of Cuban slavery, providing direct evidence of the commodification of human lives under Spanish colonial rule. (Inventory #: 21349)
(818) 224-4555
