Slavery Papers

Includes a manuscript entitled, "List of slaves owned by Trombley Smith", regards Airville plantation, Virginia, on July 1, 1828. The list shows the name, age, occupation, and in some cases the ancestry of the slaves, as well as births (male or female) and details of deaths. Also, following the names of some slaves, in parenthesis, are notes showing dates of sales of slaves and name of purchaser. Likewise are notes showing dates of purchases of slaves and name of person from whom purchase was made.

Includes manuscript quitclaim or bill of sale by John Brett, Jr., Jackson County, Florida, January 18, 1848 to William Damiel. The instrument was notarized by "acting Justice of the Peace, Lunday," witnesses by Sarah Daniel and F. G. Lunday. Certification by James Griffin, Clerk of County Court, State of Florida, states that the document "is recorded in Book E, Page 371, this August 22, 1848." All of the above appears on one page which begins: "State of Florida, Jackson County - Received of William Daniel six hundred Dollars in full payment for a certain Negro girl slave, Cherry by name, aged about seventeen years which Negro I warrant to be sound..." The document shows in original form the value assigned to healthy female Negro slaves, that such sales did take place, and how they were recorded.

Also includes a manuscript of a contemporary copy of the Senate Journal, page 169, undated and unsigned, concerning the Senate's vote on March 6, 1822, regarding slavery in territorial Florida. "No slave or slaves shall, directly or indirectly, be introduced into the said Territory, except by a citizen of the United States removing into said Territory for actual settlement..." A list of assenting and dissenting Senators is included.

The "List of Slaves" was formerly cataloged under MSS 0-229, Quitclaim was formerly cataloged under 0-230, and the "Florida Territorial Manuscript" was cataloged under MSS 2002-05.

Selected documents from this collection have been digitized and are available through the FSU Digital Library Florida Manuscript Materials collection.