The Selling Of Joseph Summary

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"Caveat Emptor!": The First Anti-Slavery Pamphlet Published in New England

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Samuel Sewall, a prominent minister and magistrate, published this tract in Boston in 1700, responding to a public controversy over the status of Adam, an enslaved servant held past another magistrate, John Saffin. Saffin had promised Adam his freedom so reneged on his pledge. Adam contested Saffin'due south actions in court, and the dispute went on for three years; Adam and his wife finally became free in 1703.

" 'Tis pity there should be more Caution used in ownership a Horse, or a little lifeless dust; than there is in purchasing Men and Women: Whenas they are the Offspring of GOD," Sewall writes, extending some beau-feeling to enslaved Africans in New England. Sewall refutes common gimmicky arguments for slavery—"the Africans have Wars with ane some other: our Ships bring lawful Captives taken in those Wars"; Africans are "brought out of a Pagan State, into places where the Gospel is Preached"—providing us with a handy list of the ways New Englanders dedicated enslavement at the fourth dimension.

Giving with one hand, Sewall takes away with another, making racist secular arguments for the ill furnishings of slavery on the colony. Even if enslaved Africans were to become gratis, Sewall writes, "they tin seldom use their freedom well," and, he argues, they were patently not able to integrate—to fight for the colony, or to ally into the general population. Gratis black people, he writes, would "remain in our Body Politick as a kind of extra-vasat Blood"—an undesirable and unharmonious presence.

Sewall's pamphlet followed Pennsylvania Quaker George Keith's An Exhortation and Caution to Friends Buying and Selling Negroes (1693), becoming the first American anti-slavery tract aimed at a general audience of not-Friends. But one copy of the Sewall tract survives, in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

A transcript follows the images.

Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Gild.

Drove of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Transcript (via the Massachusetts Historical Society):

The Selling
of
JOSEPH
A Memorial.

FOR Every bit MUCH every bit Libertyis in real value next unto Life:None ought to office with
it themselves, or deprive others of it, but upon most mature Consideration.

The Numerousness of Slaves at this day in the Province, and the Uneasiness
of them under their Slavery, hath put many upon thinking whether
the Foundation of it be firmly and well laid; so as to sustain the Vast Weight that is
built upon it. It is virtually certain that all Men, every bit they are the Sons ofAdam, are
Coheirs; and have equal Right unto Liberty, and all other outward Comforts of Life.
GODhath given the Earth [with all its Bolt]unto the Sons of Adam,Psal 115.
xvi.And hath made of I Blood, all Nations of Men, for to dwell on all the face of the Earth;
and hath determined the Times earlier appointed, and the premises of their habitation: That they
should seek the Lord. Forasmuch and so equally we are the Offspring of GOD &c. Act 17.26, 27, 29.
Now although the Title given by the last ADAM, doth infinitely better Mens Estates,
respecting GOD and themselves; and grants them a near beneficial and inviolable
Charter under the Broad Seal of Sky, who were before merely Tenants at Will: However
through the Indulgence of GOD to our First Parents after the Fall, the outward Estate
of all and every of the Children, remains the same, every bit to one another. So that
Originally, and Naturally, at that place is no such affair as Slavery.Josephwas rightfully no
more a Slave to his Brethren, then they were to him : and they had no more Authorisation
toSell him, than they had toSlay him. And ifthey had aught to exercise to Sell him;
theIshmaelites bargaining with them, and paying down 20 pieces of Silvery, could
not make a Title. Neither couldPotiphar take whatever better Interest in him than the
Ishmaelites had.Gen. 37. 20, 27, 28. For he that shall in this instance pleadAlteration of
Belongings, seems to take forfeited a great role of his ain merits to Humanity. There is
no proportion betwixt Twenty Pieces of Argent, and LIBERTY. The Commodity
it self is the Claimer. IfArabian Gold exist imported in whatever quantities, about are agape
to meddle with information technology, though they might have information technology at easy rates; lest if it should have
been wrongfully taken from the Owners, it should kindle a burn down to the Consumption
of their whole Estate.'Tis pity at that place should be more Circumspection used in buying a
Horse, or a picayune lifeless dust; than at that place is in purchasing Men and Women: Whenas
they are the Offspring of GOD, and their Liberty is,

– Auro pretiosior Omni.

And seeing GOD hath said,He that Stealeth a Man and Selleth him, or if he be
found in his manus, he shall surely be put to Death. Exod. 12.sixteen. This Constabulary existence of E-
verlasting Equity, wherein Man Stealing is ranked amongst the most awful of
Capital letter Crimes: What louder Cry can there be fabricated of the Celebrated Warning,

Caveat Emptor!

Page 2

And all matter considered, it would conduce more than to the Welfare of the Province,
to have White Servants for a Term of Years, than to take Slaves for Life. Few tin can
endure to hear of a Negro's existence fabricated free; and indeed they can seldom use
their liberty well; yet their continual aspiring after their forbidden Liberty, ren-
ders them Unwilling Servants. And there is such a disparity in their Weather,
Color & Hair, that they tin can never embody with usa, and grow upwards into orderly Families,
to the Peopling of the Land: merely still remain in our Body Politick as a kind of actress-
vasat Blood. Equally many Negro men as there are amidst u.s., and so many empty places there
are in our Train Bands, and the places taken up of Men that might make Husbands
for our Daughters. And the Sons and Daughters ofNew Englandwould become more
likeJacob, andRachel, if this Slavery were thrust quite out of doors. Moreover it is
likewise well known what Temptations Masters are under, to connive at the Fornification
of their Slaves; lest they should be obliged to discover them Wives, or pay their Fines.
It seems to be practically pleaded that they might be Lawless; 'tis thought much of,
that the Constabulary should take Satisfaction for their Thefts, and other Immoralities; by
which means,Holiness to the Lord, is more than rarely engraven upon this sort of Servitude.
It is likewise most lamentable to think, how in taking Negros out ofAfrica, and Selling
of them here, That which GOD ha'due south joyned together men do boldly rend asunder;
Men from their Land, Husbands from their Wives, Parents from their Children.
How horrible is the Uncleanness, Mortality, if not Murder, that the Ships are
guilty of that bring great Crouds of these miserable Men, and Women. Methinks,
when we are bemoaning the barbarous Usage of our Friends and Kinsfolk inAfrica:
it might not be unseasonable to enquire whether we are non culpable in forcing the
Africans to become Slaves amidst our selves. And it may be a question whether all
the Benefit received byNegro Slaves, will balance the Accompt of Cash laid out upon
them; and for the Redemption of our own enslaved Friends out ofAfrica. Besides
all the Persons and Estates that have perished there.

Obj. 1.These Blackamores are of the Posterity ofCham,and therefore are
under the Curse of Slavery. Gen. 9.25, 26, 27.

Answ. Of all Offices, one would non begg this;viz. Uncall'd for, to be an Execu-
tioner of the Vindictive Wrath of God; the extent and duration of which is to
united states uncertain. If this ever was a Committee; How practise we know but that information technology is long
since out of date? Many take found it to their Toll, that a Prophetical Denunci-
ation of Judgment against a Person or People, would not warrant them to inflict that
evil. If it would,Hazael might justify himself in all he did against his Primary, and
theIsraelites, from 2Kings 8. 10, 12.

But information technology is possible that by cursory reading, this Text may have been mistaken. For
Canaan is the Person Cursed 3 times over, without the mentioning ofCham. Good
Expositors suppose the Curse entailed on him, and that this Prophesie was accom-
plished in the Extirpation of theCanaanites, and in the Servitude of theGibeonites,
Vide Pareum. Whereas the Blackmores are non descended ofCanaan, but ofCush.
Psal. 68. 31.Princes shall come out of Arab republic of egypt [Mizraim]Ethopia[Cush]shall soon
stretch out her hands unto God. Under which Names, allAfrica may exist compre-
hended; and the Promised Conversion ought to be prayed for.Jer. xiii, 23.Tin can the
Ethiopian change his skin? This shews that Black Men are the Posterity ofCush: Who
fourth dimension out of listen have been distinguished by their Colour. And for want of the
true,Ovid assigns a fabulous crusade of information technology.

Sanguine tummy credunt in corpora summa vocato
Aethiopum populos nigrum traxisse colorem.
Metamorph. lib.two.

Obj. two.The Nigersare brought out of a Pagan State, into places where
the Gospel is Preached.

Page 3

Answ. Evil must not be done, that adept may come up of information technology. The extraordinary and
comprehensive Benefit accruing to the Church of God, and toJosephpersonally, did
not rectify his brethrens Sale of him.

Obj. 3.The Africanstake Wars with one another: our Ships bring lawful
Captives taken in those Wars.

Answ. For ought is known, their Wars are much such as were betwixtJacob's
Sons and their Blood brotherJoseph. If they be betwixt Town and Town; Provincial, or
National: Every War is upon i side Unjust. An Unlawful War can't make law-
ful Captives. And by Receiving, we are in danger to promote, and partake in their
Barbarous Cruelties. I am certain, if some Gentlemen should go down to theBrewsters
to take the Air, and Fish: And a stronger party fromHull should Surprise them, and
Sell them for Slaves to a Ship outward bound: they would think themselves unjustly
dealt with; both by Sellers and Buyers. And still 'tis to be feared, we have no
other kind of Title to ourNigers. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to y'all, do ye all the same to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matt. seven. 12.

Obj. iv. Abrahamhad servants bought with his Money, and born in his
House.

Answ. Until the Circumstances ofAbraham'southward purchase be recorded, no Argument
tin can exist fatigued from it. In the mean fourth dimension, Charity obliges us to conclude, that He
knew it was lawful and good.

It is Observable that theIsraelites were strictly forbidden the ownership, or selling one
some other for Slaves. Levit. 25. 39, 46.Jer. 34. viii–22. And GOD gaged His
Approval in lieu of any loss they might conceipt they suffered thereby.Deut. 15. eighteen.
And since the partition Wall is broken down, inordinate Self honey should likewise be
demolished. GOD expects that Christians should be of a more than Ingenuous and beneficial
frame of spirit. Christians should comport it to all the World, as theIsraelites were to
carry it one towards another. And for men obstinately to persist in holding their
Neighbours and Brethren under the Rigor of perpetual Chains, seems to be no proper
way of gaining Balls that God ha's given them Spiritual Liberty. Our Blest
Saviour ha's altered the Measures of the Ancient Love-Song, and set it to a well-nigh
Splendid New Tune, which all ought to exist ambitious of Learning.Matt. 5. 43, 44.
John 13. 34. TheseEthiopians, as black as they are; seeing they are the Sons and
Daughters of the KickoffAdam, the Brethren and Sis of the Last ADAM, and the
Offspring of GOD; They ought to be treated with a Respect agreeable.

Servitus perfecta voluntaria, inter Christianum & Christiainum, ex parte servi
patientis saepe est licita, quia est necessaria: sed ex parte domini agentis, & pro-
curando & exercendo, vix potest esse licita: quia non convenit regulae illi generali:
Quaecunque volueritis ut faciant vobis homines, ita & vos facite eis.Matt. seven.12.

Perfecta servitus poenae, not potest jure locum habere, nisi ex delicto gravi quod
ultimum supplicum aliquo modo meretur: quia Libertas ex naturali aestimatione
proxime accedit advertizing vitam ipsam, & eidem a multis proeferri solet.

Ames. Cas. Consc. Lib. 5. Cap. 23. Thes. 2, three.

BOSTON of the Massachusets;

Printed byBartholomew Green, andJohn Allen, June, 24th. 1700.

The Selling Of Joseph Summary,

Source: https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/05/history-of-slavery-in-the-united-states-samuel-sewall-s-the-selling-of-joseph.html

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