Black History
1869 Spanish Puerto Rico Slave Registration Document
March 13, 1869-Dated Partially-Printed, Spanish Puerto Rico Slave Registration Document, Choice Very Fine.
This Partly-Printed Document measures 6" x 8.25" and records the registration of a Slave named "Loxeura" who lived on the Island of Puerto Rico. What is interesting here is that the date is 1869, four years after the American government freed all its Slaves following the Civil War. In fact, Puerto Rico did not free its Slaves until 1873. The official title of the document offered here was "Registro de Esclavos", which translates in English to "Registry of Slaves." One of the purposes of the Registry was to document all of the Slaves living in Puerto Rico at the time in anticipation of eventually freeing them and compensating their owners. Included in this document is a description of Loxeura as a 31 year old mulatto Slave with a regular mouth and a son named Guillermus. A blue, oval handstamp ties an 1869 40 centimos violet postage stamp to the document at lower left. Minor tape repair on the reverse to close a split; otherwise, very presentable and certainly rare.