1870 Cuban Slave Trade Manuscript Advertisements and Announcements About Cubans Seeking Slaves, Returning Slaves and Much More

On offer is a remarkable manuscript advertisement, similar to the modern "Classified" pages, for the month of March, 1870. In this case, the ads list 41 specific needs for slaves as requested by Cuban owners. 

This document contains three pages of listings, mostly describing the need for slaves to purchase or rent, though there are some variations within the listings. There are multiple listings for Cubans seeking "emancipated slave(s) to rent", one looking for a specific, named black female (negra), someone returning a slave from the island of Dominica, a listing about multiple negros being consigned to a College, a notice about sending a Black man (pardo) to jail, a notice of 15 slaves being available for rental, and much more. 

This document is remarkable in its depth of information about the slave trade is it in the 1870s, which was running consecutively with the Chinese coolie trade. This ad was likely posted in a Town Hall or similar. 

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). During the Chinese coolie trade (1847-1874) African slaves often worked alongside Chinese indentured labourers. 

Measures approx 12x8.5 inches. Three leaves, one with with handwriting on the verso and recto and one with handwriting on only the recto. Age toning, small tears on the edge and one small hole in the document that does not impact readability. Legible. Spanish Language. Overall G.