1861 Handwritten Contrata (Contract) for a Chinese Coolie Labourer in Havana Following Completion of His Primitive Contract, Signed in Chinese
by Government Of Havana
- Used
- Condition
- Fair with no dust jacket
- Seller
-
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Havana, Cuba: Chinese Coolie Trade Contract. Fair with no dust jacket. 1861. Non-Book. On offer is an absolutely remarkable, completely handwritten Contrata, being the second contract offered to Chinese coolie labourers after completing their first primitive contract. This contrata is written for Juan, age 37 [Note: A Christian name assigned to Chinese coolies when they boarded the ship in Macau. For examples of this, see our collection of coolie ship manifests within the Chinese-Cuban collection]. In this contrata, Juan agrees to work for another two years and will work for Mr. Mariono Penichet, beginning in May of 1861. The contract lays out the obligations of the worker to the boss and of the boss to the worker. For example, he will be fed and clothed, allowed to rest if sick, but not paid if he cannot work. The contract is signed on May 23, 1861 by multiple witnesses and in Chinese by Juan. The Chinese coolie trade, a system of indentured labor that targeted young, poor Chinese men, operated from 1847-1874. Throughout this period, African slavery was slowly being abolished around the world. The coolie trade was initiated by Britain and was eventually dominated by both Britain and the United States of America. Chinese coolie laborers were sent to work in British, American and Spanish colonies, and the nature of the trade changed throughout its 27-year operation, due to social and political pressures. The coolie trade took place, in large part, between the shipping port in Macao (now a part of China, then under Portuguese rule) and Havana, Cuba (then under Spanish control). As Macau was under Portugese rule at the time of the coolie trade, they transported coolies on their vessels frequently and many of the documents related to the trade were written in Portuguese and/or Spanish. To learn more about the Chinese coolie trade and its importance in world history, click here to read our in-depth research blog on the topic. Since Chinese men who came to Cuba from Macau were extremely poor and often remained indebted to the master who purchased their initial primitive contract by the end of their work term, they were more or less forced to accept contratas such as this one. This is a vital piece of history connected to the Chinese coolie trade. This contrata measures approx 8.5x12.5 inches. It shows age toning and some fraying at the edges. It is a single folio leaf folded in half to make four pages. The contract is handwritten on the recto and verso of the first page. The contract is extremely fragile with a tear on the first page at the horizontal fold, which does eliminate the ability to read one sentence on the first page and a signature on the second page. Spanish Language. Overall Fair. ; Manuscripts; 4to 11" - 13" tall; Signed by Author .
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Details
- Bookseller
- Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc. (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 0012081G
- Title
- 1861 Handwritten Contrata (Contract) for a Chinese Coolie Labourer in Havana Following Completion of His Primitive Contract, Signed in Chinese
- Author
- Government Of Havana
- Format/Binding
- Non-Book
- Book Condition
- Used - Fair with no dust jacket
- Publisher
- Chinese Coolie Trade Contract
- Place of Publication
- Havana, Cuba
- Date Published
- 1861
- Keywords
- Chinese Coolie Trade, CUBAN Slave Trade, CUBAN Plantations, CUBAN Contracts
- Bookseller catalogs
- 19th Century Manuscript; 19th Century Ephemera;
Terms of Sale
Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.
All items are guaranteed as stated for life or returnable for refund. If a refund is requested, seller must be notified within 7 days of postal delivery of the item based on postal tracking data. To receive a refund, the item must be returned to seller in the same condition in which it was received. All digital items are final sale.
About the Seller
Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.
Biblio member since 2009
Cochrane, Alberta
About Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.
Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc. (formerly M. Benjamin Katz Fine Books/Rare Manuscripts) is based out of both Ontario and Alberta, Canada. We do business by appointment, and have had an online presence selling fine books and rare manuscripts since 1999. Specializing in handwritten, historically significant books, manuscripts, diaries, documents and ephemera. A member of The Manuscript Societyeach treasure on offer is guaranteed authentic and as represented for life. Worldwide clientele includes esteemed collections and public, private and university libraries on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific. Always buying collections and estates.
Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.has been an online sales and auction presence with over 7000 transactions since 1999.
Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.has been an online sales and auction presence with over 7000 transactions since 1999.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Poor
- A book with significant wear and faults. A poor condition book is still a reading copy with the full text still readable. Any...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- Fair
- is a worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc....
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Recto
- The page on the right side of a book, with the term Verso used to describe the page on the left side.
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.