One of the earliest public auctions of blacks slaves in the Americas (1555)

One of the earliest public auctions of blacks slaves in the Americas (1555)
The authorities of Santo Domingo auctioned the cargo of enslaved Blacks from a Portuguese ship that had arrived without a license in 1555
ESPAÑA. MINISTERIO DE CULTURA, Archivo General de Indias,
ES.41091.AGI/24.3.64//JUSTICIA,103A

TRANSCRIPTION

en [çiento?] y ochenta pesos a pagar de /
contado presentes los dichos /
 
r este dia se traxo en almoneda otra negra /
color de menbrillo [sic] cocho que es criolla /
e no tiene marca e se Remato en /
fernan sanchez aleman en dozientos /
y tres pesos a pagar de Contado/
 
r este dia se remato otra negra vyeja /
color de menbrillo cocho que es de la /
dicha muger de françisco carnero e tiene /
la marca de la f. en el braço yzquierdo /
Se Remato en [juanes dendoy?] en do /
zientos e çinquenta pesos de oro a pagar /
fiados por tres meses presentes los dichos /
 
Este dia se truxo en almoneda otra /
negrilla Sarnosa y tiñosa y chequi/
ta. y tiene la marca de la f en joan /
de chaves sastre en dozientos pesos /
de oro a pagar de contado presentes /
los dichos paso ante mi lope amado escrivano /
 
r muy poderoso señor el factor joan /
de [junco?] dize que podria avertres dias /
que saco del almoneda que se haze /
de los negros boçales vna negra por /
preçio de çiento e çinquenta pesos de /
oro y luego que la llevo a su casa la en /
trego a diego lopez veçino de esta çiudad y /

_____________________________________________________

clxxx opesos /
cc iii pesos /
c l pesos /
cc pesos



ENGLISH TRANSLATION

for a hundred and eighty pesos payable in

cash the aforesaid being present [On the right margin:180 pesos]

r today another black woman of cooked quince-color was brought up for auction, who is criolla and is not branded and was auctioned to Fernan Sanchez Aleman for two hundred and three pesos payable in cash

[On the right margin: 203 pesos]

r today, another black woman of cooked quince-color, old, was auctioned who belongs to the said wife of Françisco Carnero and she has the F brand on her left arm she was auctioned to [Juanes Dendoy?] for two hundred and fifty gold pesos payable on credit in three month time, the aforesaid being present

[On the right margin: 250 pesos]

Today was brought up for auction another scabby and mangy and small black girl, and she is branded with an F, to Joan de Chaves, tailor, for two hundred gold pesos payable in cash, it happened before me Lope Amado, notary

[On the right margin: 200  pesos]

r very powerful lord, tax collector Joan de [Junco?] states that about three days ago he took out a black woman at the auction being made of the bozales Blacks for the price of one hundred and fifty gold pesos and after taking her to his house he handed her over ti Diego Lopez, resident of this city and



Slave shackles

Slave shackles. Museo de las Casas Reales

Commentary

The record of this auction in the city of Santo Domingo of confiscated slaves from a Portuguese ship offers the opportunity to learn about the Black Africans who were being swallowed by the slave trade, the physical condition in which they arrived after crossing the Atlantic, and the social types that bought them as well as the price each of them was sold for.

A “creole” female slave of “cooked quince-like color,” of unspecified age and without branding marks on her body, was sold for 203 pesos to a well known resident of Santo Domingo. An older enslaved woman described with the same color and with an “f ” mark on the left arm sold for 250 pesos. A Black small girl described as having visible scabs and manges and also with the “f ” mark was bought for 200 pesos by a local tailor. The auction lasted several days, with some slaves being paid for at once and many sold on credit.