Jewish Life in Colonial New York
A Jewish abolitionist purchases a child's indenture
Citation: Wendell, Evert Jansen, 1860-1917, collector. Evert Jansen Wendell collection of contracts for the sale of slaves, 1796-1829. Oakley, John. Contract with Moses Judah of New York City : ADS, Jamaica, Queens County, New York, 1804 June 23. MS Am 889.478 (2). Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Know all men by these Presents that I John Oakley of Jamaica in the county of Queens and state of New York for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred and seventy five dol-lars to me in hand paid by Moses Judah of the City of New York Merchant the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have [?] granted bargained and sold assigned transferred and set over and by these presents doth grant bargain and sell, assign, transfer, and set over unto the said Moses Judah his executors, administrators or assigns a negro boy named Lewis aged ten-years or thereabouts. To have and to hold the said negro boy unto the said Moses Judah his heirs and assigns for an during the term of twenty five years next ensuing from the day of the date of these presents.And I the said John Oakley do hereby covenant and agree to and with the said Moses Judah his heirs and assigns that I the said John Oaklaey now am the lawful and absolute owner of the said negro boy and have good right and authority to sell and dispose of the said negro boy in manner hereinbefore men-tioned. And that [?] said John Oakley my heirs executors and administrators shall and will warrent and defend the said negro boy to the said Moses Judah his executors administrators and assigns against the lawful claims and demands of all persons whom-soever and during the said term of twenty five years. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and do seal in the City of New York this twenty third day of June in the year of our God one thousand Eight hundred and four.
This contract marks an agreement between John Oakley and Moses Judah. Judah paid Oakley the sum of $175 dollars for the life and labor of an approximately ten year old Black boy named Lewis for a term of 25 years.
Colonial New York is often thought of in terms of the Dutch, and then the English. The earliest Jewish people to immigrate to New York, were Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Sephardim, who had earlier immigrated to Holland to escape persecution and forced conversion to Christianity. Like other Dutch colonists, these Jewish settlers came to America in hopes of building new social and economic futures. This immigration was later followed by German Jewish settlers, Ashkenazim, of whom Moses Judah was a part.
Jewish citizenship and legal rights were not immediately granted, as they were to other, Christian European immigrants. Being allowed to live in a place was not the same as being allowed to apply for naturalization or the right to conduct business. The article "Civil Status of the Jews in Colonial New York" notes that Moses Judah obtained his rights to buy and sell property in 1768 becoming what was known as a "free man."
Very little is known about Moses Judah, beyond his long-term membership at Congregation Shearith Israel, the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, and his membership in the New York Manumission Society. Judah joined the Manumission Society in 1799, the same year as the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery was passed, and was noted as the only Jewish member. In 1806, two years after signing this contract, he was elected to the executive committee of that same society.
