Sub Project to Slaves freed in America before the Emancipation Proclamation

Freed in New Netherland or New York before January 1, 1863

Discussion

Slavery was brought to the Hudson River area in the early 1600s, if not before. The first known slaves to be freed, that is, the first ones known by me, worked for the DWIC. For the few that were freed, the path was gradual. But they are included here to provide context for the processes of manumission under the Dutch West India Company, the British and then the governments of the various states of the US.

DATES

• 1628 : "The first blacks to arrive in New Amsterdam were Paul d' Angola, Simon Congo, Anthony Portuguese, John Francisco, and seven other males in 1626. Their names indicate that they may have been slaves on Portuguese or Spanish ships captured at sea. Three women were brought in from Angola in 1628. These fourteen blacks formed 5.2 percent of the 270‑person population of New Amsterdam in 1628. " ~• Most of these salves were at least partially freed having worked long years for the DWIC
• 1644 : DWIC director frees Company slaves (see below)
• 1664 : British take over for the first time from the DWIC. Freeing of slaves stops with the repression of people of color by James II of England
• 1781 : The state legislature voted to free those slaves who had fought with the rebels during the Revolution
• 1790 : By 1790 one in three blacks in New York state were free
• 1799 : In 1799, the legislature passed a law for gradual abolition. It declared children of slaves born after July 4, 1799, to be legally free, but the children had to serve an extended period of indentured servitude: to the age of 28 for males and to 25 for females. Slaves born before that date were redefined as indentured servants but essentially continued as slaves for life.
• 1869 : "As late as 1869, a majority of the state's voters cast ballots in favor of retaining property qualifications that kept New York's polls closed to many blacks. African-American men did not obtain equal voting rights in New York until ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870."

The first freed Africans

The following list below gives us the names of the ten Africans, all "Company Slaves", who benefited from the 1644 ordinance of the Council of New Netherland (spelling may vary):

• Paulo Angola
• Big Manuel
• Manuel Pietersen Minuit, AKA 'Little Manuel'
• Manuel de Gerrit de Reus, AKA 'Emanuel Swager'
• Simon Congo
• Anthony Fernando Portugis, AKA Gratia d'Angola
• Peter Santomee
• Jan Francisco
• Antonio Cleyn, AKA 'Little Anthony'
• Jan Fort Orange
  

~• Note that many of these men had wives whom they married in Dutch Reformed church' ceremonies. Land granted them passed to their heirs. These women should be considered "freed" as well.'

Sources

Black Loyalists (UEL site)