Collection of Colombian Manumission Documents
Scope and Contents Note
Edicts and other historical manuscripts documenting manumission, slavery, and related subjects in Nueva Granada, or present day Colombia and Ecuador. The documents, mostly from the early to mid-19th century, and many from the Cantón de La Plata, are arranged according to their original order as acquired by the Benson Latin American Collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1779-1852
Language of Materials
Spanish
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Materials are in the public domain. Some uses may be limited to promote the preservation of the original manuscripts.
Historical Note
Between the 16th and first half of the 19th century, approximately 400,000 African slaves were brought to Nueva Granada through the ports of Havanna, Veracruz, Buenos Aires, and Cartagena. Cartagena received more than 60% of the traffic destined for the Virreinato Peruano. The late 18th century saw the rise of movements to abolish the institution of slavery, movements that were often part of the struggles for independence from Spain. In what is now known as Colombia, Simón Bolívar was involved in an important, though ultimately unsuccessful, movement to abolish slavery. Finally in 1851 president José Hilario López signed the Ley de Manumisión o de Liberación de los Esclavos en la Nueva Granada that abolished slavery in Colombia.
Source: Archivo General de la Nación de la República de Colombia, online at
Full Extent
4 linear inches
Abstract
Edicts and other historical manuscripts documenting manumission, slavery, and related subjects in Colombia.
Acquisition Information
Purchase, 1984.
Additions
No further materials are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Processing information not available.
- Title
- Collection of Colombian Manumission Documents
- Status
- Edited Partial Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2006
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English and Spanish
Revision Statements
- 2021 May: Edited by D Ryan Lynch to fix compliance check errors to prepare for the migration to new TARO website.
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 2022 November: Edited by Dylan Joy to change collection name and improve description and eoncoding.
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu