Description:

Slavery in Colonial Massachusetts in 1746, A Rarity

Puritans from Dorchester, Dorset, England, who emigrated in 1630 to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded Dorchester, Massachusetts (now a neighborhood in Boston). It was part of Suffolk County, one of the four original counties created in the colony in 1643. Although Massachusetts became a center of abolitionist sentiment during the antebellum era, the institution was legal there throughout the colonial era. Though the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution permitted slavery, the state's Supreme Judicial Court effectively abolished slavery over the next three years by determining that slavery was incompatible with the new state constitution.

This valuation guide for the assessors in Dorchester lists both a "negro man," to be valued at £15, and a "negro woman," to be valued at £10. In 1727, the town of Dorchester had a total of ten male slaves and seven female slaves.

During 1746, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was distressed by the incursions of Native Americans and the threat of the French army and navy to the northern English colonies in North America. Sickness and a storm in Nova Scotia convinced the French forces to return to Europe without making an attack. The town of Dorchester was also stirred that year by the preaching of evangelist George Whitefield, leading many members to leave the church in the aftermath of the First Great Awakening.

[SLAVERY.] Manuscript Document, Valuation Table, 1746, Dorchester, Massachusetts. 3 pp., 4.125" x 5.5". Second sheet separated on center fold; toning; very good.

Excerpts
A Table whereby to make ye Province, Town & County Taxes altogether in one, according to ye valuation of Estates in ye Town of Dorchester, for ye year 1746.

Note; In this Valuation ye several species of Real Estate at 6 years Income of a Middle Quality; and also ye Personal Estate, is set in lawfull money as follows, viz.
                                           £. S. d.
A House at                         12-0-0
Orchard p acre                  12-0-0
Eng. Mowing                     6-0-0
Salt & fresh                       2-0-0
Tillage Land                     1-16-0
Pasture Land                   1-10-0
A mill                               20-0-0
A negro man at               15-0-0
Do woman at                  10-0-0
A cow at                          1-10-0
A Horse or Ox at             2-0-0
A Swine at                      0-8-0
A Sheep at                     0-3-0
Deck'd Vessels p Ton    1-10-0
Open Vessels p Ton      1-0-0

Number of Polls Rated 272
No of pounds or pence in ye Valuation 33963.
                               £. S. d.
Sum to be Raised 478-9-3 or 114829 pence.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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