1785 QUAKER BIRACIAL MANUMISSION. Superb Document Illustrating Increasing Abolitionist Tendencies of Late 18th Century.

A superb physical artifact. The front records the original indenture, dated 1764, for a then 2 or 3 year old mixed race child, young Hannah Ore. She was apparently the child of a white mother and black father. The indenture binds her to the Newlin family for a period of 29 years. While chattel slavery was illegal in Pennsylvania, many achieved the same result through indenture of the very young, as the case here. 

The Newlin family lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania and at least Jane Newlin seems to have been an active member of the Society of Friends at Providence, Chester County. After her husband's death, and likely under the influence of the local Quaker community, Jane manumitted their indentured servant, by then 23 years of age [1785].

This document coincides with the rapidly increasing abolitionist movement among the Quakers. The Society of Friends had long had abolitionist leanings, but by the 1770's and into the 1780's, the official Friends' discipline began to significantly increase its pressure on the issue. At one time, they simply did not support the traffic of slaves. By the mid-1780's, Friends were being dismissed from fellowship for more marginal attachments to chattel slavery, such as here. The document witnessed by George Miller, a long time leader among the Friends of Providence, PA. 

The document as follows:

This Indenture made ye first Day of September in ye Year of our Lord God One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Four, Between Frances Ore of ye Township of Newton & County of Chester of ye on Part; And Nathanial Newlin of ye Said Township and County Afforesaid Yeoman of ye other part.

Witnesseth That ye said Frances Ore hath put and Bound her Daughter Hannah, a Molatoe Child, Unto ye Afforesaid Assigns, from the Day of ye Date hereof for and During ye Term of Twenty Nine Years and Five months, During all which Term or Time ye Said Servant her said Master and Mistress shall Faithfully Serve their Lawfull Commands at all Times willingly obey; from ye Service of her Said Master Day or Night without License she shall not Depart, but in all things shall behave herself as a Faithful Servant ought to Do, to her said Master and Mistress and all his During said Termn. And they ye said Master and Mistress Do Covenant and agree to Teach or Cause to be taught and Instructed their said servant, Housewifery, whereby she ye sd Servant may get a Living; and he ye sd Master shall Teach or cause to be Taught ye sd Servant to Read well in an English Bible, and Procure and Provide for her Sufficient Meat, Drink, Apparel, Lodging and washing, and all other necessaries fitting for such a Servant during ye sd Term; And at ye Expiration of ye afforesaid Term, he ye sd Master shall give to ye sd Servant Two Suits of Apparel, one of which shall be New, according to ye Custom of ye Country, & also one good Cow. In Witness whereof ye sd Parties to these Present have Interchangeably set their hands and seals hereunto, Dated ye Day and year above Writen in Ye Presence of Us. Josiah Crawford. Mary Banderman Nathanieal Newlin. 

And on the reverse,

Whereas the within named Hannah, otherwise called Hannah Ore, served my Late Husband, Nathaniel Newlin till his Death, and my self since that time, being now in the twenty third year of her age. And as I am fully informed that it was not Lawfull  for her Mother to Bind her for the term Mentioned in this Indenture. Therefore I do hereby quit all claim to the said Hannah, and Certifie whom it may concern that she is and ought to be a free woman from mee and all other persons whatsoeever. Witness my Hand the 21th day of the 5th month, 1785. Jane Newlin. George Miller. Alice Fawkes.