NJHUNTER-L Archives

From: "Dane Coefer" <>
Subject: [NJHUNTER] NJ Slavery
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 20:49:35 -0700

When the 1804 gradual emancipation law was passed there were
12,000 slaves in New Jersey. By 1820 the number had dropped to
7,000. In 1846 slavery was "legally" abolished. Slaves were turned
into permanent "apprentices" to their masters. (The masters were
in this way legally bound to provide for the upkeep of their apprentices
who were all born before 1804. The freed and aging slaves, therefore,
did not become wards of the State.) The 1840 Federal census would
be the last to list New Jersey slaves.

Dane Coefer
Ashland, Oregon

Researching Manners in Hunterdon and Somerset
http://www.geocities.com/dane97520/MannersTree.html

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