Black Diaspora in New Spain Document Collection
Scope and Contents Note
The collection is comprised of 49 individual documents detailing slavery in colonial Mexico, including court cases and inventories of haciendas.
Documents are individually numbered and are largely arranged in chronological order. During collection transport and processing, some identifying document numbers were seperated from the corresponding document. All unidentified documents are located in Folder 5. The list of unidentified documents in Folder 5 is arranged in numerical order by the original document number, and includes the corresponding description.
Some documents have been transcribed, and those transcriptions are located alongside the document. Annotations made by the original collector to highlight enslaved persons were maintained to the greatest degree possible.
Dates
- Creation: 1592-1799
Language of Materials
Spanish
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Historical Note
The founding of New Spain in 1535 ushered in what would become centuries of Spanish colonial rule across Latin America. Documents in this collection highlight slavery in colonial Mexico. Most documents record the age, caste, and sale price of the listed enslaved person, and some indicate the enslaved person's place of origin. Documents include court cases involving slaves and inventories of haciendas where slaves were transferred or sold.
Full Extent
2 linear feet
Abstract
49 original documents from colonial Mexico that include court cases involving enslaved people and inventories of haciendas where slaves were transferred or sold. Documents record the age, caste, sale price, and place of origin of the enslaved.
Acquisition Information
Purchase.
Accession number: 2019-24
Additions
No further materials are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Janette Nunez and Rachel E. Winston, 2020.
- Title
- Black Diaspora in New Spain Document Collection
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2021
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard (Dacs)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 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