Bill of Sale of Four Enslaved People and the Anglo-Dutch Involvement
Edwyn Feng CAS ‘28
Engrained in the early modern colonial economy was slavery. The Sylvesters were no exception. Dated in 1687, this bill of sale features four enslaved people: Tony, Touro, Oyou, and Opium, who were sold from the Sylvester Manor. On the surface, the document appears to contain minimal information except the names of the enslaved people and the monetary value imposed upon them. However, upon closer examination, this document shed light on the inter-colony trafficking of enslaved people and colonial economy.
While Shelter Island lies under the jurisdiction of New York, the document records the “Boston, New England” in the heading, implying that the enslaved people were transported to Boston, where this bill of sale was signed. This document, therefore, highlights the transportation and sale of enslaved people across different colonies. Although a single document cannot provide the exact scope of the inter-colonial slave trade, this bill of sale nevertheless reflects the existence and potential commonality of internal slave trade in the early colonial period.
This bill of sale also reveals information about the Early Modern colonial economy in North America. By including “Money of Province of New York,” the document highlights that a currency specific to New York was used in this transaction, demonstrating that different colonial authorities issued different currencies. It is worth noting that in this inter-colonial transaction that the currency of New York was used instead of the New England one, which may suggest the payer’s lack of New England currency, the difficulty in exchanging currency issued by different colonies, or the relatively stronger credibility of the New York currency. Whatever it may be, the document provides a glimpse into the colonial economy in the late seventeenth century.