Existing comment:
Declaration for ship regarding cargo, or slaves, on board, port of Baltimore, Maryland, November 1820:
Ship declarations offer a record of the domestic slave trade that continued until 1865. Upon examination of the slave ship, ship inspector Charles Robinson wrote that those aboard, except for one, "acknowledge themselves to be Slaves for Life." The only other signature on the document was George Elliott, who was a member of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. Ardent abolitionists, the Friends were often present at ports, questioning the captain and people aboarad to ensure that claims of ownership were legitimate. |