In 1834, 271 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-3085 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3085 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Carlota |
| Year | 1834 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 287 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 271 |
| Registered Total | 163 |
| Notes | This Spanish schooner, under the command of Francisco Loureiro, began its voyage at Havana on 3 March 1834 and set sail for Gallinas loaded with a cargo of wine, aguardiente and dry goods. On 17 September, this ship sailed from Africa with 360 people on board and 16 individuals died during the middle passage. On 30 October, the HMS schooner Nimble, under the command of Charles Bolton, found this ship near the Punta de Mulas around 21°7'0" N. and 75°50'0" W. After a chase of nearly 3 hours, the Carlota was run ashore at Punta Guardalavaca, whereby all of the crew, except for Loureiro and his cabin boy, escaped into the woods along with 74 enslaved Africans. Loureiro was unable to flee "by reason of sickness and his having been maltreated either by his crew or the negroes." Bolton brought Loureiro and the remaining 272 people on board the Nimble. On 1 November, the ship went to Nuevitas to "procure provisions," but Loureiro died. On 3 November, Bolton "being anxious from the crowded state of his ship" decided to sail the "Old Bahamas Channel" through the night. A bad storm and dangerous currents drove the Nimble onto Cayo Verde. On 4 November, the Nimble was totally lost and 75 enslaved Africans died. The Spanish Commander of the Marina at Guanaja sent assistance. On 12 November, Bolton chartered the Spanish Schooner Amistad "to bring his crew and the 197 surviving negroes from off the rock." They arrived to Havana on 14 November, but the following morning another 3 people died. On 21 November, the court ordered emancipation certificates be delivered to the surviving 194 people. Most of these people were "thin, weak and suffering from choleric symptoms." Another 31 people died and there are only 163 people in the Carlota register. Between 20 November and 11 December, the Cuban government attempted to resettle people from the Carlota to Trinidad. The British commissioners stated they cannot take "the responsibility of sending to a British Colony and negroes who may be affected with Cholera, indeed the Governor of Trinidad has expressly stated his determination not receive any such [infected people]." On 7 December 1834, the crew of the Carlota and enslaved Africans who had fled were apprehended in eastern Cuba. On 7 February 1835, 23 crew and 72 people (2 died) were taken to Havana. The Spanish Government requested the Mixed Commission pay for their transportation, but the British decided "although it may be proved satisfactorily that [these 72 people] have formed a part of the cargo of the Carlota... The fact is that the case of these negroes, apprehended by the local authorities, is subject to the Tribunals of the Country, whose decision must be grounded on the Spanish Laws." Between 2 December 1834 and 24 March 1835, this case included additional documentation related to the wreck of the Nimble involving the cost of assistance and supplies from the Commander of the Marina at Guanaja and the cost of chartering the Amistad. See also LA-E-5196 for more information about the capture of people in Cuba by the local government. |
| Sources | The National Archives, UK, FO 84/151, "Declaration of the Captor," 13 Nov. 1834, f. 86-88; 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: 1338. |
| Cite as |
| X Capture | -8441728.051823245 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 2405795.2905792375 |
| 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. | Rivers of West Africa |
| 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 | Galinhas |
| Capture date at sea or on land, if known. Date of the sentence. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1834-10-30 |
| Location | 21°7'0" N., 75°50'0" W. |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Nimble |
| Captain | Bolton |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1834-11-21 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1834-10-30 |
| 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 |