Footnotes
[1] Cf. Weeden, Economic and Social History of New England, II. 449–72; G.H. Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts; Charles Deane, Connection of Massachusetts with Slavery.
[2] Cf. American Historical Record, I. 311, 338.
[3] Cf. W.C. Fowler, Local Law in Massachusetts and Connecticut, etc., pp. 122–6.
[4] Ibid., p. 124.
[5] Deane, Letters and Documents relating to Slavery in Massachusetts, in Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., 5th Ser., III. 392.
[6] Ibid., III. 382.
[7] Weeden, Economic and Social History of New England, II. 454.
[8] A typical voyage is that of the brigantine "Sanderson" of Newport. She was fitted out in March, 1752, and carried, beside the captain, two mates and six men, and a cargo of 8,220 gallons of rum, together with "African" iron, flour, pots, tar, sugar, and provisions, shackles, shirts, and water. Proceeding to Africa, the captain after some difficulty sold his cargo for slaves, and in April, 1753, he is expected in Barbadoes, as the consignees write. They also state that slaves are selling at £33 to £56 per head in lots. After a stormy and dangerous voyage, Captain Lindsay arrived, June 17, 1753, with fifty-six slaves, "all in helth & fatt." He also had 40 oz. of gold dust, and 8 or 9 cwt. of pepper. The net proceeds of the sale of all this was £1,324 3d. The captain then took on board 55 hhd. of molasses and 3 hhd. 27 bbl. of sugar, amounting to £911 77s. 2½d., received bills on Liverpool for the balance, and returned in safety to Rhode Island. He had done so well that he was immediately given a new ship and sent to Africa again. American Historical Record, I. 315–9, 338–42.
[9] Ibid., I. 316.
[10] American Historical Record, I. 317.
[11] Ibid., I. 344; cf. Weeden, Economic and Social History of New England, II. 459.
[12] Cf. New England Register, XXXI. 75–6, letter of John Saffin et al. to Welstead. Cf. also Sewall, Protest, etc.
[13] The number of slaves in New Hampshire has been estimated as follows:
| In | 1730, | 200. | N.H. Hist. Soc. Coll., I. 229. |
| " | 1767, | 633. | Granite Monthly, IV. 108. |
| " | 1773, | 681. | Ibid. |
| " | 1773, | 674. | N.H. Province Papers, X. 636. |
| " | 1775, | 479. | Granite Monthly, IV. 108. |
| " | 1790, | 158. | Ibid. |
[14] N.H. Province Papers, IV. 617.
[15] Granite Monthly, VI. 377; Poore, Federal and State Constitutions, pp. 1280–1.
[16] Cf. The Body of Liberties, § 91, in Whitmore, Bibliographical Sketch of the Laws of the Massachusetts Colony, published at Boston in 1890.
[17] Mass. Col. Rec., II. 168, 176; III. 46, 49, 84.
[18] Weeden, Economic and Social History of New England, II. 456.
[19] Mass. Province Laws, 1705–6, ch. 10.
[20] Ibid., 1728–9, ch. 16; 1738–9, ch. 27.
[21] For petitions of towns, cf. Felt, Annals of Salem (1849), II. 416; Boston Town Records, 1758–69, p. 183. Cf. also Otis's anti-slavery speech in 1761; John Adams, Works, X. 315. For proceedings, see House Journal, 1767, pp. 353, 358, 387, 390, 393, 408, 409–10, 411, 420. Cf. Samuel Dexter's answer to Dr. Belknap's inquiry, Feb. 23, 1795, in Deane (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., 5th Ser., III. 385). A committee on slave importation was appointed in 1764. Cf. House Journal, 1763–64, p. 170.
[22] House Journal, 1771, pp. 211, 215, 219, 228, 234, 236, 240, 242–3; Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts, pp. 131–2.
[23] Felt, Annals of Salem (1849), II. 416–7; Swan, Dissuasion to Great Britain, etc. (1773), p. x; Washburn, Historical Sketches of Leicester, Mass., pp. 442–3; Freeman, History of Cape Cod, II. 114; Deane, in Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., 5th Ser., III. 432; Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts, pp. 135–40; Williams, History of the Negro Race in America, I. 234–6; House Journal, March, 1774, pp. 224, 226, 237, etc.; June, 1774, pp. 27, 41, etc. For a copy of the bill, see Moore.
[24] Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1855–58, p. 196; Force, American Archives, 5th Ser., II. 769; House Journal, 1776, pp. 105–9; General Court Records, March 13, 1776, etc., pp. 581–9; Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts, pp. 149–54. Cf. Moore, pp. 163–76.
[25] Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts, pp. 148–9, 181–5.
[26] Washburn, Extinction of Slavery in Massachusetts; Haynes, Struggle for the Constitution in Massachusetts; La Rochefoucauld, Travels through the United States, II. 166.
[27] Moore, Slavery in Massachusetts, p. 225.
[28] Perpetual Laws of Massachusetts, 1780–89, p. 235. The number of slaves in Massachusetts has been estimated as follows:—
| In | 1676, | 200. | Randolph's Report, in Hutchinson's Coll. of Papers, p. 485. |
| " | 1680, | 120. | Deane, Connection of Mass. with Slavery, p. 28 ff. |
| " | 1708, | 550. | Ibid.; Moore, Slavery in Mass., p. 50. |
| " | 1720, | 2,000. | Ibid. |
| " | 1735, | 2,600. | Deane, Connection of Mass. with Slavery, p. 28 ff. |
| " | 1749, | 3,000. | Ibid. |
| " | 1754, | 4,489. | Ibid. |
| " | 1763, | 5,000. | Ibid. |
| " | 1764–5, | 5,779. | Ibid. |
| " | 1776, | 5,249. | Ibid. |
| " | 1784, | 4,377. | Moore, Slavery in Mass., p. 51. |
| " | 1786, | 4,371. | Ibid. |
| " | 1790, | 6,001. | Ibid. |
[29] R.I. Col. Rec., I. 240.
[30] Cf. letter written in 1681: New England Register, XXXI. 75–6. Cf. also Arnold, History of Rhode Island, I. 240.
[31] The text of this act is lost (Col. Rec., IV. 34; Arnold, History of Rhode Island, II. 31). The Acts of Rhode Island were not well preserved, the first being published in Boston in 1719. Perhaps other whole acts are lost.
[32] E.g., it was expended to pave the streets of Newport, to build bridges, etc.: R.I. Col. Rec., IV. 191–3, 225.
[33] Ibid., IV. 55–60.
[34] Patten, Reminiscences of Samuel Hopkins (1843), p. 80.
[35] Hopkins, Works (1854), II. 615.
[36] Preamble of the Act of 1712.
[37] R.I. Col. Rec., IV. 131–5, 138, 143, 191–3.
[38] R.I. Col. Rec., IV. 471.
[39] Arnold, History of Rhode Island, II. 304, 321, 337. For a probable copy of the bill, see Narragansett Historical Register, II. 299.
[40] A man dying intestate left slaves, who became thus the property of the city; they were freed, and the town made the above resolve, May 17, 1774, in town meeting: Staples, Annals of Providence (1843), p. 236.
[41] R.I. Col. Rec., VII. 251–2.
[42] Bartlett's Index, p. 329; Arnold, History of Rhode Island, II. 444; R.I. Col. Rec., VIII. 618.
[43] R.I. Col. Rec., X. 7–8; Arnold, History of Rhode Island, II. 506.
[44] Bartlett's Index, p. 333; Narragansett Historical Register, II. 298–9. The number of slaves in Rhode Island has been estimated as follows:—
| In | 1708, | 426. | R.I. Col. Rec., IV. 59. |
| " | 1730, | 1,648. | R.I. Hist. Tracts, No. 19, pt. 2, p. 99. |
| " | 1749, | 3,077. | Williams, History of the Negro Race in America, I. 281. |
| " | 1756, | 4,697. | Ibid. |
| " | 1774, | 3,761. | R.I. Col. Rec., VII. 253. |
[45] Fowler, Local Law, etc., p. 124.
[46] The number of slaves in Connecticut has been estimated as follows:—
| In | 1680, | 30. | Conn. Col. Rec., III. 298. |
| " | 1730, | 700. | Williams, History of the Negro Race in America, I. 259. |
| " | 1756, | 3,636. | Fowler, Local Law, etc., p. 140. |
| " | 1762, | 4,590. | Williams, History of the Negro Race in America, I. 260. |
| " | 1774, | 6,562. | Fowler, Local Law, etc., p. 140. |
| " | 1782, | 6,281. | Fowler, Local Law, etc., p. 140. |
| " | 1800, | 5,281. | Ibid., p. 141. |
[47] Conn. Col. Rec., XIV 329. Fowler (pp. 125–6) says that the law was passed in 1769, as does Sanford (p. 252). I find no proof of this. There was in Connecticut the same Biblical legislation on the trade as in Massachusetts. Cf. Laws of Connecticut (repr. 1865), p. 9; also Col. Rec., I. 77. For general duty acts, see Col. Rec., V 405; VIII. 22; IX. 283; XIII. 72, 125.
[48] Acts and Laws of Connecticut (ed. 1784), pp. 233–4.
[49] Ibid., pp. 368, 369, 388.