Thursday, December 29, 2022

“Letter by Jim"


        In 1800, there were two men with the same last name living in Easton, NY: Rensselaer Schuyler, Philip Schuyler’s youngest son, and Jim Schuyler, the head of a free Black household. Easton is located in Washington County, northeast of Albany across the Hudson River. Rensselaer lived in Easton for at least a decade in the early 19th century, as he was listed on the census there in both 1800 and 1810.[1] [2] He owned a large parcel of land in Washington County that had once belonged to his father and rented it out to tenant farmers, just as the elder Schuyler had done.[3]


Jim Schuyler was recorded on the 1800 census as the head of a household of five free Black people.[4] According to his sons, Jim was born in Africa,[5] and lived with his family in Easton for over thirty years.[6] On each consecutive census, the size of the household grew, as Jim had thirteen children with his wife Diana, including two daughters named Elizabeth and Margaret, names that match two of Philip Schuyler’s own daughters.[7]

The 19th century Albany County censuses are filled with the surnames of wealthy families who had been in New York for generations: Yates, Morton, Schermerhorn, Schuyler, and many others.[8] [9] While many of these names had Dutch origins, some of the families with those prominent last names were of African descent. In some cases, this was because a member of those families had been enslaved by the people whose last names they adopted, as taking the last name of a former enslaver was a common practice.[10] With this in mind, it seems that Rensselaer and Jim Schuyler were connected by more than just a last name.

There are three mentions of an enslaved man named Jim in the surviving documents Philip Schuyler left behind. It’s probable that the Jim mentioned in these documents is the same Jim Schuyler from the 1800 census in Easton. The first known mention of Jim is on a receipt for shoes and shoe repairs from December 16, 1771— Schuyler listed one pair purchased for an enslaved person named Jim.[11] The next time we find Jim mentioned is on a yearly account of services rendered by Philip Schuyler’s doctor. In November of 1787, Dr. Samuel Stringer provided Schuyler with “Zin Castor” for Jim.[12] Lastly, in a letter to his son in 1792, Schuyler wrote, “I thank you for your letter by Jim.”[13] This indicates that Jim was still in the Schuylers’ service in 1792, as he delivered letters between Philip and his family.

On February 3, 1779, Philip Schuyler received a letter from J. Lansing which informed him that Diana, an enslaved woman who had fled from the Schuylers in the early winter of 1779, had been recaptured.[14] This is the only time a woman named Diana is known to be mentioned in the Schuyler Papers, but it is likely she was re-enslaved by the Schuylers after her attempt to escape. As Jim later married a woman named Diana, it is possible that Diana and Jim were married while they were both enslaved by the Schuyler family. Philip Schuyler may have even been in favor of this union, as family ties would have made Diana less likely to attempt escape again in the future.

In the same collection of documents that mention Jim and Diana, there are lists from 1790 and 1798, which recorded the number of people enslaved by the Schuylers. On the 1790 federal census, Philip Schuyler recorded thirteen enslaved people in his household.[15] By that year, Jim and Diana already had two children, making them a family of four.[16] [17] In 1798, Philip recorded only nine enslaved people, exactly four less than in 1790.[18] It’s possible that sometime between 1792, when Jim was last mentioned by Schuyler, and 1800, when Jim appears on the Easton census, Jim and his family either purchased their freedom or were manumitted for an unknown reason.[19]

1880 census where Jim's son Thomas
states that his father was born in Africa.

Philip Schuyler likely did not manumit Jim and Diana’s family as he was opposed to the manumission of enslaved people. As a senator, Philip declined to participate in the vote on manumission, he bought and sold people through the end of his life, and did not even mention the people he enslaved in his will, leaving their fates in the hands of his children. Philip’s treatment of the people he enslaved is documented by letters he left behind. In the autumn of 1781, Philip Schuyler purchased two enslaved women who had a close relationship and did not want to be separated.[20] In 1782, Philip wrote to his daughter Angelica, “Your mama will strive with all in her power to procure you a good wench[.] They are rare to be met with, the two which I bought Last fall […] prove worthless in the extreams [sic].”[21] This letter highlights Philip’s way of thinking in regard to the people he enslaved. Based on the treatment evident in these examples, it is more likely that Jim and Diana found a way to purchase their family’s freedom.

Enslaved people at Schuyler Mansion, such as Caty Betty, were sometimes able to work for wages during their enslavement. In a document from January 5, 1786, Caty Betty signed to confirm that she received payment for her labor with John Bradstreet Schuyler, Rensselaer Schuyler’s older brother, as a witness. It is possible that Jim and Diana did this as well and earned enough money to purchase their family’s freedom from the Schuylers.

Without further records and documents to corroborate Jim’s decades long journey from Africa to home ownership in Easton, NY, it is impossible to say with certainty that this Jim was enslaved by Philip Schuyler. However, with the current available documents, Jim’s possible story can be pieced together. In his early childhood, Jim was abducted from his home country in Africa. He was likely taken to the Caribbean, where it was common practice for people who had just been abducted to be “broken in” to slavery by working in grueling conditions on sugar plantations. Even if they did not work on the plantations, many enslaved people were sold from these ports, and Philip may have purchased Jim in Jamaica or Antigua, as Philip traded there. He was likely enslaved by the Schuylers for several decades from the 1770s to the 1790s. He may have been a cart driver, as the letter Philip mentioned him in stated that Jim had delivered messages between Philip and his son. Jim may have even met his wife, Diana, during this time.


1810 census where Jim begins
using the name James.
Jim and Diana had their first child in 1783 or 1784, and another in 1790.[22] These two children would have been born into slavery because their mother was enslaved, making it even more difficult to gain their freedom. Jim and Diana may have worked for wages, as other enslaved people had done at Schuyler Mansion, and saved enough money to purchase their family’s freedom from Philip Schuyler. Once able to make their own choices, Jim and Diana settled in Easton, NY and established themselves independently by 1800.[23] On the 1810 census, Jim began going by the name James instead of Jim, which he used on the 1800 census. This could have been to distance himself from his life as an enslaved man and to reclaim a preferred name that carried a higher social status.


Through their perseverance, James and Diana created new opportunities for the future generations of their family. Many of their children owned homes and raised families of their own, most remaining in Washington County. While many of James’ and Diana’s children could not read or write, even as adults, most of their grandchildren were able to attend school as children unlike their parents or grandparents.[24] With each generation came new opportunities and challenges, all made possible for their descendants because of the bravery and sacrifices made by James and Diana. Thanks to James and Diana, the Schuyler family of Easton, NY has lasted for generations, with descendants still living today.


The story of James and his family above is only one of many possibilities. As we discover new documents and records to fill in the gaps, their stories may change. This research is ongoing, and Schuyler Mansion will continue to update the blog as more information becomes available. Stay on the lookout for future posts exploring the lives of James Schuyler and his family. 

 

By Kiera Fitzsimmons

[4] 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

[7] New York, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999

[10] Meaghan E. H. Siekman, “Slave Surnames,” Vita Brevis, May 26, 2021, https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2021/05/slave-surnames/.  

[11] Slavery and Enslaved People at Schuyler Mansion, An Account of the Shoes, dated December 16, 1771.

[12] Schuyler Papers, New York Public Library, Reel 2 Box 3.

[13] Slavery and Enslaved People at Schuyler Mansion, Letter from Philip to Johnny, dated December 19, 1792.

[14] Ian Mumpton, “Ran Away on the 28th Ultimo: Freedom Seekers and Self Manumission at Schuyler Mansion,” http://schuylermansion.blogspot.com/2018/05/ran-away-on-28th-ultimo-freedom-seekers.html. 

[16] 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

[17]  1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

[18] Slavery and Enslaved People at Schuyler Mansion, Box 18 Reel 8 – Philip Schuyler Papers N.Y.P.L., Copy of a Slave list dated November 25th, 1798, in grouping entitled “Land Papers Local- Albany.”

[19] It is also possible that Jim and his family were transferred from Philip Schuyler to Rensselaer Schuyler when he married Elizabeth Ten Broeck in 1793. We may explore this possibility further in a future post.

[20] Letter from Philip J. Schuyler to Angelica Church, September 20, 1783. Church Papers Yale Library.

[21] Ian Mumpton, “Searching for the Enslaved Women of Schuyler Mansion,” http://schuylermansion.blogspot.com/2017/03/searching-for-enslaved-women-of.html.

[22] 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

[23] 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

[24] 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

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