DISTRICT AND PORT OF PHILADELPHIA. I HENRY RIHL DO SOLEMNLY, SINCERELY, AND TRULY SWEAR THAT THE WITHIN LIST CONTAINS THE NAMES OF THE CREW OF THE SCHOONER DART TOGETHER WITH THE PLACES OF THEIR BIRTH AND RESIDENCE, AS FAR AS I CAN ASCERTAIN THE SAME. . .
[Philadelphia: John Bioren, for Samuel Emery, Ship Broker, 8 March 1813]. Printed folio broadsheet, 13-1/4" x 16-1/4." Completed in manuscript. Old folds, with a single hole at the intersection of two folds, no text affected. Very Good.
Free African American who landed in southern ports were exposed to the threat of capture, imprisonment, and enslavement by local governments. In an effort to protect them, documents such as this one confirmed that such sailors were free men and "citizens of the United States of America." Wikipedia's article on Black Mariners notes, "Commencing with South Carolina in 1822, southern states enacted stringent laws, known as Negro Seamen Acts, mandating the imprisonment of all free black sailors while their ships were docked in port. These laws reflected concerns about the potential of black sailors to disseminate revolutionary ideas and harbor fugitive slaves, underscoring the challenges faced by Black Mariners in navigating discriminatory practices within the maritime industry."
The first Seamen's Protection Act was enacted in 1796, with the intention of protecting American sailors from impressment by the British Royal Navy. The Act would serve another significant purpose: By declaring that black sailors, who made up a substantial part of the American merchant marine, were free men, the Act sought to protect this vulnerable class of mariners.
This rare naval document lists the names of the Philadelphia-based crew of the Schooner Dart, most notably including six free black sailors. The ship was traveling from Philadelphia to its final destination of Cape Henry in the Slave State of Virginia. Each crew member is listed by name, place of birth, place of residence, "Of What Country Citizens or Subjects," "Descriptions of Their Persons" including age, height, complexion, and hair. Five men are noted as Black, and one man listed as "Mulatto," including: Henry Bray of Massachusetts (age 41), William Kempenfell of Massachusetts (41, Mulatto), Charles Smith of Delaware (21), Samuel Elbert of Maryland (21), Wellington Sayfield of Maryland (29), and Chester Mitchell of Maryland (42).
This unusual document highlights the multiracial composition of early American maritime labor, as well as efforts to protect black sailors from the hazards of southern ports. Issued during the War of 1812, when coastal movement was closely monitored, such crew lists functioned not only as commercial records but also as instruments of identification and control. Particularly for free black sailors, who faced the constant threat of detention or enslavement in Southern ports, these documents could serve as vital proof of status. Item #42148
Price: $3,500.00