1867 Rare Contract of Emancipated 13-Year-Old Female Black Slave from Angola, to Work in Cardenas, Cuba

On offer is a remarkable early contract for an emancipated African slave aged 13-years-old who will be working at a sugar mill in Cardenas. 

The contract is for Leonila, who was born in Galanga, Angola and brought to Cuba on the slave ship Neptuno, which was later used to transport Chinese coolie labourers. The contract is from the Administration of the Central Deposit of the Emancipated (Administracion del Deposito Central de Emancipados) in Cuba. It provides basic details about Lenila, including her height of 3 foot, 10 inches and age of 13-years-old. Lenila is being “rented” to M.a Louisa Meza and will work in the fields. The contract indicates that Lenila was slave #5172.. The back of the contract is typewritten and contains all of the rules that must be followed by the worker and the boss. There is a heavy slant toward discussion of penalties for the worker escaping and breaking rules as well as discussion of baptism and religiosity. The contract was signed in Havana on December 20, 1867 by a number of witnesses and with a symbol that likely stood in for Lenila’s signature. There is a handwritten note at the bottom indicating the contract would renew (or “refill”)  on February 2, 1870. Contracts such as this one were provided to emancipated slaves after completion of a primitive contract. 

Cuba had a great need for inexpensive labour to support their sugar industry. While America and Britain signed a treaty in 1814 to abolish the African slave trade, it took many years for complete global abolition. The African slave trade was not ended in Cuba until 1886, despite it being formally abolished in 1867 (Yun & Laremont, 2001). The details of this contract closely align with contracts of Chinese coolie labourers, and the printed nature of this contract implies that many emancipated African slaves were contracted following their emancipation. Based on knowledge of the contracted Chinese labourers, we know that conditions for indentured workers were equal to, or worse than, those of slaves. 

This document is printed and filled out in ink. It is two pages on recto and verso of a single sheet. It measures 8x12 inches. It exhibits age toning and creasing appropriate to its age. Spanish language. Overall VG.