SLAVE DOCUMENT

Two Manuscript documents relating to the buying and selling of 63 slaves. Small 4to and folio; minor defects. Newport, 1806; Havana, 1806 The first item is a letter from Messrs. Ambrose and Peckham of Newport to Captain Slocum Fowler ordering him to sail "our brig Alfred... to the coast of Africa... there you will dispose of your cargo to the best advantage...and invest the nett proceeds in slaves, say three quarters male & one quarter females...after having done the above you will proceed to Havanna...Robert Ambrose, James Peckham. Newport, August 12th, 1806." The second document is dated from June 1806 and is a complete record of the sale of 63 slaves on 7 June. The document is headed, "Sale of 63 slaves received from the Coast per Brig Alfred [the same ship mentioned earlier], Slocum Fowler master on account of Messrs. Jeremiah Peckham and Robert M. Ambrose." There follows a complete list of the purchasers of the slaves, for the most part Cubans, though a few Anglo-Saxon surnames are present. Also shown are the sale prices of the slaves along with their physical description, as well as associated costs for doing business (taxes, duties, etc). Together, an extraordinary record of the "business" of the slave trade.