On View
Slavery and Freedom Gallery
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
Printed by
Unidentified
Signed by
Hunton, William A., American
Fox, John, American, 1805 - 1884
Subject of
Unidentified Woman or Women
Date
December 31, 1858
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 3 15/16 × 5 5/8 in. (10 × 14.3 cm)
Description
A hiring agreement for an enslaved woman named Martha in South Carolina. The small, single sheet and page document is on yellowed paper with black preprinted and handwritten text. The document represents the hire of an enslaved woman named Martha to William A. Hunton by John Fox on January 1, 1859 for 1 year. It the top left corner on the front of the document is a printed dollar sign with “17.00/100” handwritten next to it. The document begins “On the 1st day of January, 1860, we bind ourselves and our heirs / to pay unto JOHN FOX the just and full sum of Seventeen dollars / and – cents, for the hire of the Negro Martha, for the year 1859….” The document also notes that Martha will be furnished with summer and winter clothes as well as a bonnet and blanket. The document ends with “Given under our hands ad seals this 31st day of December of 1858. / William A. Hunton.” In the bottom right corner there ar two boxes with “SEAL.” printed inside. William A. Hunton’s signature is next to the top box. The back of the document has an inscription in graphite written in a different hand than the text on the front. The inscription reads “No 24 / WM A. Hunton / $17, Martha / John Fox.”
Transcription Center Status
Transcription Available
Place used
Lexington County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
Liljenquist Family Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
Type
financial records
receipts
Topic
American South
Clothing and dress
Finance
Slave hire system
Slavery
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Liljenquist Family
Object number
2018.43.5
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5d9ce66b2-ca13-4d5c-8e60-aab2fef7d7f9

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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