On March 23, 1778, a slaveholder of New Haven declared on record that: I ... for the consideration of Twenty six shillings lawfull money rec[eive]d to my full satisfaction of Pompey of sd Newhaven a free Negro man late Slave of ... the sd Pompey sometimes called Pompey Panchard, have sold, and do by these … Continue reading New Haven: Pompey Panchard and Leah (1778)

On May 28, 1777, a man named Gad agreed to serve in the Revolutionary War in exchange for his freedom. The entry in the land record book simply says, This may Certify that Gad my Negro Servant just purchased ... I do discharge from my Service and shall have no demands on him myself, nor … Continue reading New Haven: Gad (1777)

Amasa, “a negro” about nineteen years old, was freed on September 21, 1772, as was Silva, a “negro girl” about seventeen years old. These manumissions, by the same slaveholder (a widowed woman), took place under a different legal situation than the later ones that I’ve looked at. Because of this, the language in each emphasizes … Continue reading New Haven: Amasa and Silva (1772)

In 1821, Polly convinced the woman who held her in slavery to file a formal manumission agreement on the land records of New Haven, Connecticut. Appalling though the use of the land records for this purpose now seems, it is also the case that municipal land records were extremely unlikely to be “lost” – they … Continue reading New Haven: Polly (1821)