Slavery, Exploitation and Trade in the West Indies, 1759-1832
Jamaican material in the Slebech papers
An important archival resource for the history of West Indian trade and plantations during the slavery era, these Jamaica-related documents cover the period from the Seven Years' War through to the end of the Napoleonic warsKenneth Morga
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Jamaican slavery and trade in the records of a plantation owner
Nathaniel Phillips (1733-1813), was a British plantation owner who moved to Jamaica and rode the wave of burgeoning wealth of the island during its lucrative position in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In the 18th and 19th century, Jamaica became a major destination for the delivery of enslaved Africans and emerged as one of the busiest markets in the world. The collection offers a unique perspective on the activities of a West Indies plantation owner between the crucial years of 1759 to 1832.
Phillips’ early years in Jamaica are well documented through a range of material in this collection. Drawn from the National Library of Wales, this collection contains a wealth of information regarding Philips’ activities in the West Indies, including financial documents, letters relating to the running of Phillips’ estates, legal papers and personal diaries. The subject matter of the material ranges from correspondence expressing anxiety about potential slave insurrections to the treatment of those people who were enslaved during day-to-day life on Phillips’ plantations.
This collection is also accompanied by a detailed online guide by Professor Kenneth Morgan. This collection would be particularly beneficial to researchers and students who are interested in the economic and social history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
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Slavery, Exploitation and Trade in the West Indies, 1759-1832...
Jamaican material in the Slebech papers
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- The records of business transactions reveal which supplies were thought necessary to maintain a plantation with slaves. Other items include account books.
- Most of the letterbooks contain letters sent to the plantation owner by his contacts. Each book contains correspondence from one of his contacts, apart from a few books which contain his letters.
- The legal documents are mainly wills and probate records. They also include an official legal opinion on whether the foreign-born children of an English landowner could inherit from him.
- Miscellaneous other materials include the 'reports, 1791 March 1-30'. These reports cover General Meetings of 'The West India Planters, and Merchants' during 1791.
