July 1776

Receipt for the “hire” of an enslaved man, July 15, 1776

Receipt for the “hire” of an enslaved man, July 15, 1776

 

Received July 15th 1776 of Abraham Woodland by the hand of John Woodland the sum of seven pounds fourteen shillings, being the balance of last year’s hire of my Negro man, and in full of all accounts I say received per me —
L7.14.9 Andrew Hickmann

[spelling and punctuation have been modernized]

The most striking thing about this document is its date: July 15, 1776, less than two weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.



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