Broadside for an estate sale of "229 Rice Field Negroes"
date: label: Date
content: 1859
name: label: Issued by
content: P.J. Porcher & Baya Co., American, 1859 - ca. 1863
label: Subject of
content: Harrietta Plantation, American, founded 1807
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Child or Children
label: Printed by
content: Unidentified
notes: label: Description
content: This broadside is an announcement for an estate sale of 229 enslaved men, women and children. The document consists of a single sheet of off-white paper, with a single fold to make four pages, with centered black type and handwritten inscriptions in ink and graphite. The front of the announcement reads:
label: Description
content: [ESTATE SALE! / 229 / RICE FIELD NEGROES / AN UNCOMMONLY PRIME and ORDERLY GANG / TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE NEGROES / BEING TWO GANGS IN ONE, AND COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE FORCES OF / "TRANQUILITY" AND "HARRIETTA" PLANTATIONS, / ON SANTEE RIVERS. / By P.J. PORCHER & BAYA / On THURSDAY the 20th day of January, 1859, / AT 11 O'CLOCK, A. M., WILL BE / Sold at Public Auction, / AT / RYAN'S MART, Chalmers-st. / IN THE / CITY OF CHARLESTON, / An uncommonly prime and orderly Gang of two hundred and twenty-nine / NEGROES, accustomed to the culture of Rice and Provisions, on North and / South Santee Rivers. Amongst which there are valuable / CARPENTERS, BLACKSMITHS, DRIVERS, AND BOAT HANDS. / CONDITIONS OF SALE -One-third Cash: balance in one, two, and three years / secured by bond, mortgage and approved personal security, with interest from day of sale, / payable annually. Purchasers to pay P. J. P. & B. for papers.].
label: Description
content: The other three pages of the document list out the enslaved men, women, and children for sale. At the top of each page is printed [TRANQUILITY GANG.]. The list is organized into a five column chart, with the names appearing in groupings that may represent family units. The first column is untitled, but records the number of inidviduals in a grouping. The other columns are for [No.], [NAMES.], [Age.] and [QUALIFICATIONS.] Listed out into the columns are a total of 135 enslaved individuals, beginning on the first page with:
label: Description
content: [1 Sancho, 60, Driver
label: Description
content: 2 Sandy, 45, Cook and Watchman
label: Description
content: (2) 3 Hester, 40, High ground
label: Description
content: 4 Jacob, 60
label: Description
content: 5 Sanders, 30
label: Description
content: 6 Phillip, 22
label: Description
content: 7 Sally Ann 25
label: Description
content: (5) 8 John, 6]
label: Description
content: The listing concludes on the last page with:
label: Description
content: [127 Patty, 60
label: Description
content: 128 Jinney. 25
label: Description
content: 129 Aaron, 12
label: Description
content: (4) 130 Primus, 7
label: Description
content: 131 Fanny, 60
label: Description
content: (2) 132 Prince, 25
label: Description
content: 133 Prince, 50 Cripple
label: Description
content: 134 Fatima, 40 Does nothing
label: Description
content: (3) 135 Molly, 25]
label: Description
content: The last page also contains several handwritten inscriptions including financial figuring in graphite and the addition of five names in black ink: [Dick, Carpenter / 3c Nancy / Bob / London / Thompson].
place: label: Place used
content: Charleston, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: North Santee, Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
label: Place depicted
content: McClellanville, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Commerce
label: Topic
content: Domestic slave trade
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Finance
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Rice farming
label: Topic
content: Skilled labor
label: Topic
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2014.63.18
objectType: label: Type
content: broadsides
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 15 1/8 × 10 1/8 in. (38.4 × 25.7 cm)