Collection Guides
The New York City Municipal Archives

This series consists of vital records documenting people from Africa or of African descent who were enslaved in localities that are now part of modern-day New York City. Included are birth records, manumission records, apprenticeships, and indentures. Most of the records are from towns that were located in Kings County, New York prior to their dissolvement, annexation, or consolidation into the City of New York. These towns include the Town of Brooklyn, the Town of Bushwick, the Town of Flatbush, the Town of Flatlands, the Town of Gravesend, and the Town of New Utrecht. There are also records created at the county-level and birth and manumission records from the Town of Westchester, Westchester County prior to its annexation into New York County/City of New York in 1895.

Most of birth records are for children who were born after July 4, 1799 to mothers who were enslaved but who themselves would be emancipated according to the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery passed by the New York State Legislature on March 29, 1799. After this law went into effect, clerks of towns and cities in New York were mandated to keep records of births of children born to enslaved women who would be affected by this law (registers of birth registrations and abandonments). Information recorded in the birth records generally include: name of the child, date of birth, mention of the mother (sometimes providing her first name), and the name of the enslaver. There are also birth records of people born into slavery in Kings County, 1760-1784. These records are in Dutch and have not been translated.

The manumission, apprenticeship, and indenture records correspond to two New York State laws regarding gradual manumission of enslaved people in the state—the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery of 1799 (for children born to enslaved mothers after July 4, 1799) and the Act Relative to Slaves and Servants of 1817 that further solidified gradual manumission for enslaved people born before July 4, 1799. Both laws were antecedents to the 1827 law abolishing slavery in the State of New York. When a person was manumitted there were often stipulations such as a payment to the enslaver and/or an indenture or apprenticeship which required the person to continue working for the enslaver for a specific amount of time, generally until the person turned a certain age. These records can include the following information: event date, event location, name, birth date, age, gender, skin complexion color, amount of pay (if any), length of servitude/service, father and mother’s given name, and name of enslaver/employer.

If more vital records documenting life events of enslaved people are surfaced within the collections held at the New York City Municipal Archives they will be added to this subgroup accordingly.