Some years ago in a piece on how slavery at the College of William and Mary was represented, I quoted a description of a slave market by Thomas Day that I think might have derived from Day’s discussions with William Small, his mentor in the Lunar Society of Birmingham.
My belief is that Day in effect was describing a slave auction in Yorktown or Williamsburg in the 1750’s or ’60’s; Small was teaching at the College between 1758 and 1764.
But I’m now wondering if Day might have had another, printed source for his description—can’t find any from a word search in early British newspapers and books, but I thought I’d check the collective wisdom of the list to see if there’s something I missed. I’m not sure if Day’s description might not be a very early one indeed.
Here’s on the subject:
In 1776, Thomas Day evoked slave markets including those in the “southern colonies of America”; slaves “are brought into the market, naked, weeping, and in chains; —how one man dares to examine his fellow- creatures as he would do beasts, and bargain for their persons; —how all the most sacred duties, affections, and feelings of the human heart, are violated and insulted.” THOMAS DAY, FRAGMENT OF AN ORIGINAL LETTER ON THE SLAVERY OF THE NEGROES; WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1776, at 32 (London 1784).
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Terry L.. Meyers, Chancellor Professor of English, Emeritus, The College of William and Mary, in Virginia, Williamsburg 23187
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