Bahamian bill of sale for enslaved individuals, Trim and Flora
date: label: Date
content: February 8, 1799
name: label: Written by
content: James Stevens, Bahamian
label: Received by
content: John Addison, British
label: Signed by
content: Dan Sutherland, British
label: Signed by
content: John Stevens, British
notes: label: Caption
content: This is a Bahamian bill of sale for two enslaved individuals, Trim and Flora. The seller, James Stevens notes that the buyer, John Addison will benefit from Flora’s future “increase,” a term enslavers used to value unborn children of slaves.
label: Description
content: A partially typed, partially handwritten Bahamian bill of sale for [a certain negroe man slave named Trim] and a [negroe woman slave named Flora]. Trim and Flora were sold to John Addison from J. James Stevens on February 8, 1799 on the Bahamian Island of Nassau. The middle of the bill includes language on [the future issue and increase] of Flora. The bottom is signed by witnesses Dan Sutherland, John Stevens and the seller, James Stevens.
label: Description
content: On the upper portion of the back of the document, James Stevens has confirmed that John Addison received the document on February 8th 1799 and [John Addison note of hand for the within payable in six weeks]. James Stevens has signed his name below this statement.
label: Description
content: The lower portion of the back of the document has a short summary of the sale of Trim and Flora by James Stevens to John Addison for 220 British pounds.
label: Description
content: The document has four distinct horizontal crease lines showing it has been folded into fourths. The outer edges of the fourths are torn and deteriorating.
place: label: Place used
content: Nassau, Bahamas, Caribbean, North and Central America
label: Cultural Place
content: England, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: British colonialism
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Colonialism
label: Topic
content: Domestic slave trade
label: Topic
content: Finance
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: Documents and Manuscripts
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: 2010.1.226
objectType: label: Type
content: bills of sale
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 (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W: 13 5/8 x 8 1/8 in. (34.6 x 20.6 cm)