Topic: Slavery

Moments in the Life of Chief Micanopa

This document from Alachua County’s Ancient Records Deed Book B, dated May 6, 1834, records a transaction in which Micanopy, Chief of the Seminole tribe, conveyed a young enslaved girl named Catherine to John and Susan Paine. Catherine, identified as the daughter of the Paines and born in March 1829, was to remain under their guardianship until she reached the age of twenty-one, at which point she was to be granted her freedom. The deed, witnessed at Fort King and recorded by local officials, raises questions about the personal, legal, and cultural complexities surrounding slavery, guardianship, and Native leadership in territorial Florida.

Moments in the Life of John H. McIntosh Jr.

The document recounts the emancipation of three enslaved sisters—Bella, Maria, and Sue—by John H. McIntosh Jr. in Florida, dated October 11, 1833. McIntosh declares that these children are to be manumitted and acknowledges their emancipation, intending this act to be permanent for them and their descendants. The transaction involved a nominal payment of one dollar, highlighting the historical significance of this act during a time when enslaved individuals had considerable financial value. The call for additional information on John H. McIntosh Jr. suggests a quest for further insights into his life.

Moments in the Life of Joseph Valentine

In 1862, Joseph Valentine, a free man of color in Alachua County, voluntarily sold himself into slavery to Philip Dell, which was documented in the local court’s judgment book. The court affirmed his choice was made without coercion. Fast forward to 1871, a Joseph Valentine is found serving as a County Commissioner for Alachua County and is mentioned in the census as a literate black man living in Gainesville. His story raises many questions about the nature of his freedom and choices, leaving historians curious about his life after this controversial decision. What became of Joseph Valentine remains unknown.