In 1834, 291 enslaved African(s) were “liberated” in a state-run scheme usually resulting in involuntary indentures, conscription, or re-enslavement. Under the jurisdiction of 4, Case ID LA-E-3080 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3080 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Rosa |
| Year | 1834 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 293 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 291 |
| Registered Total | 289 |
| Notes | This Spanish schooner, under the command of José Vilardaga, began its voyage at Santiago de Cuba on 2 May 1833. It set sail for Ouidah loaded with a cargo of wine, aguardiente and dry goods. On 19 November, this ship sailed from Africa with 293 people on board and 1 individual died during the middle passage. On 25 December, the HMS sloop-corvette Dispatch, under the command of George Daniel, detained this ship in the Atlantic Ocean around 3°49'0" N., 33°13'0" W. Upon arriving to Havana, everyone on board was placed in quarantine even though the majority of people were in good physical health. By the end of the trial, another 3 people died. On 15 February, the court condemned this slave vessel for sale and issued emancipation certificates for 289 people. On 18 February, the chief authorities of Cuba decided to relocate the people from the Rosa to Trinidad "in conformity with the conditions already determined upon... and in the same manner as in the past cases of the Joaquina and Manuelita." In this case, "the able bodied of both sexes [were] selected, and set aside." The Havana Slave Trade Commission also prepared a "surplus of provisions sufficient to maintain the negroes for 30 days after arrival." On 1 March, the Spanish schooner María Cristina, under the command of Juan Dardet, set sail to transport "194 emancipated negroes" - 97 females and 97 males - from Cuba to Trinidad. The court prepared a list of these people and their emancipation certificates accompanied them to Trinidad. This register of 194 people contained matching numbers to the Rosa register and it has therefore been possible to identify the people removed from Cuba. On 31 March, the Governor of Trinidad confirmed the arrival of 193 individuals because 1 male died shortly after arriving. He complained that these people were not in good condition "as those who were brought in the Manuelita." They had "only one suit of clothes and a Blanket, whilst those of the Manuelita had two suits, a Blanket and cap together with a wooden spoon." After disembarkation, they were "located in 36 lots of 6 each, one of 5, and eight very young females placed as Domestics in respectable Families." |
| Sources | The National Archives, UK, FO 84/150, "Declaration of the Captor," 1 Feb. 1834, f. 112-113; Henry B. Lovejoy, “The Registers of Liberated Africans of the Havana Slave Trade Commission: Implementation and Policy, 1824-1841,” Slavery & Abolition 37, no. 1 (2016): 23-44; Henry B. Lovejoy, “The Registers of Liberated Africans of the Havana Slave Trade Commission: Transcription Methodology and Statistical Analysis,” African Economic History 38 (2010): 107-135; SlaveVoyages, www.slavevoyages.org (accessed 2020), Voyage ID: 1307. |
| Cite as |
| X Capture | -3697662.4191832375 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 425183.95422736346 |
| Ship Status | Liberated Africans |
| Date of departure from a place or port in Africa generally following the purchase of enslaved people. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | |
| Region of departure from Africa. Required entry. For more information about the geographical hierarchy used in this digital resource, please refer to AfricanRegions.org. | Western Bight |
| Place or port of departure from Africa, if known. A controlled vocabulary for place names are associated with geographic coordinates using Google Maps Global Mercator EPSG:900913. See https://epsg.io/transform#s_srs=4326&t_srs=900913&x=NaN&y=NaN | Ouidah |
| Capture date at sea or on land, if known. Date of the sentence. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1833-12-25 |
| Location | 3°49'0" N., 33°13'0" W. |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Dispatch |
| Captain | Daniel |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1834-02-15 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1834-01-24 |
| Region of arrival around the world. Required field. For more information about the geographical hierarchy used in this digital resource, please refer to AfricanRegions.org. Other regions outside of Africa include, Western Europe, East Coast of North America, etc. | Caribbean |
| Place or port of arrival around the world. Required field. A controlled vocabulary for place names are associated with geographic coordinates using Google Maps Global Mercator EPSG:900913. See https://epsg.io/transform#s_srs=4326&t_srs=900913&x=NaN&y=NaN | Havana |