This micro-edition is archived and it may not be WCAG 2.1 AA compliant. Read more about our legacy content policy, or return to the edition introduction.
Skip to content.
Scholarly Editing Logo
Micro-Edition | DOI: 10.55520/YSF9HQNH
    Keywords:
  • wellness
  • kinship
Hypolite Seeks Care Fugitivity Fugitivity is a keyword in Black studies that captures the physical, metaphysical, armed, and everyday resistance of enslaved Africans and their allies against any and all aspects of enslavement. Rashauna Johnson, describing the “slave space” that was New Orleans, points to the specific geography of the region as lesson in fugitivity: Nonetheless, enslaved persons appropriated the places assigned them toward their own ends, a point that broadens the received gendered geographies of slave resistance. Because New Orleans was an important port city, it offered a diffuse set of pathways for escape – and recapture. If the politics of place could oppress, slaves reasoned, movement could also become an avenue to freedom. The connectedness that made the city’s location so desirable to merchants and imperial officials – its land passageways, river outlets, and Atlantic access – gave runaways an array of escape options. The fugitives redefined themselves in local “geographies of resistance,” or fled to other parts of the Atlantic World.
No description provided.
 “Camera looking from water to stand of cypress along shore.” Louisiana Ecology and Conservation: Percy Viosca Jr. Collection, Louisiana Digital Library, Baton Rouge. https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/lsu-sea-pvc%3A263. However, fugitivity is a term encompassing more than marronnage (which is the act of absconding from enslavers and being out of reach of slaveholding authorities, even if temporarily). Fugitivity describes active and intentional resistance, as well as the acts of imagination and refusal that Africans and people of African descent engaged in against slaveholders’ gendered racial capitalistic regime. Fred Moten writes: What's at stake is fugitive movement in and out of the frame, bar, or whatever externally imposed social logic—a movement of escape, the stealth of the stolen that can be said, since it inheres in every closed circle, to break every enclosure. This fugitive movement is stolen life, and its relation to law is reducible neither to simple interdiction nor bare transgression. Part of what can be attained in this zone of unattainability, to which the eminently attainable ones have been relegated, which they occupy but cannot (and refuse to) own, is some sense of the fugitive law of movement that makes black social life ungovernable, that demands a para-ontological disruption of the supposed connection between explanation and resistance. Fugitivity is a keyword in Black studies, and Keywords for Black Louisiana draws on insights from Black studies to better understand the sources Africans and their descendants appeared in, as well as to better interpret the individual and communal acts of resistance. Stories with this keywordMiguel and Pedro Escaped with María JuanaMaría Juana Sues for Her FreedomMama Comba's GombeauLuison Claims Her FreedomJeannot Testifies in the Case of the Disappearance of Enslaver CorbinAntoine Is Willing to Burn It All Down Kinship Keywords for Black Louisiana views “kinship” and the battle for kin as central to Black life in the so-called New World. Kinship is the glue that knit Africans together in Gulf Coast Louisiana. Building and rebuilding fictive, chosen, and biological kin that reshaped bonds broken through the slave trade and the forced relocations of bondage in the New World occupied Africans and people of African descent from the moment of their initial capture on the African continent to the end of their lives. Larry Powell writes: Few aspects of African tradition were felt more strongly by slaves fresh from the homeland than a commitment to kinship. Severed from bloodlines, they invented new family ties on the spot. Fictive kinship was one type. Slaves acquired new siblings and new elders. But these arrangements were ad hoc and informal, anchored in nothing more solid than the sands of sentiment. Gender, age, and reproductive capacity played an important role in kinship relations and rebuilding kinship and community. As Jessica Marie Johnson writes, Understanding the role intimacy and kinship played in black women’s lives highlights black women’s everyday understanding of freedom as centered around safety and security for themselves and their progeny. Safety, particularly safety from intimate violence, and security lay at the heart of decisions to secure or reject patrons, partners, lovers, and other kin. Black women’s intimacy with individuals ranged along the spectrum of coerced to strategic, from fraternal to sexual. Determined to build community and make generations, imagining futures that were, if not beyond bondage, at least buttressed against harm, they cultivated, protected, and defended kinship networks. They engaged in a range of practices meant to safeguard their bodies and their legacies. At times this included legitimating kinship ties through formal sacred institutions like the Catholic Church. Stories with this keywordThe Two-Year-Old Son of Marianne Dies from Worm DiseaseCatalina Swears She Hasn’t Harbored María JuanaJuan Francisco Is Interrogated about María JuanaMaría Juana Sues for Her FreedomMarie Aram Secures Her FreedomMaria and Carlota Gain Their FreedomMama Comba's GombeauJeannot Testifies in the Case of the Disappearance of Enslaver CorbinJanette and Pierre: Children Enslaved on the Same PlantationHypolite Is Sold at Public AuctionGuillermo, Catalina, and Her Children Are Sold at AuctionGuillermo, Catalina, and Her Children Are InventoriedFrançois Became More Ill Along the WayChef Dominique and Family Stay TogetherCatharina Knows Her WorthBaptiste Is Freed by the Spanish GovernorAntoine Is Willing to Burn It All Down Manumission Manumission is the act of freeing and being freed from slavery “while the institution of slavery continues,” as described by Rosemary Brana-Shute and Randy J. Sparks. Manumission was a critical act and strategy enslaved people engaged in as they struggled for control over their lives, selves, and kinship networks. It was differentiated from emancipation, the legislative acts and actions (i.e., US Civil War) nominally freeing all enslaved people, wholesale or conditionally (i.e., with apprenticeship), across a given slaveholding society. Manumission was executed by individual enslavers on behalf of their respective property (enslaved people) through formal (i.e., legal) action. Manumission was regulated by imperial and national officials in all slaveholding societies, but the rules of manumission varied across empire, region, and even between towns or colonial outposts. In French Louisiana, manumission was regulated by a succession of Code Noirs (1685, 1724) which determined the guidelines enslavers needed to follow to complete an act of manumission. In Spanish Louisiana, the French ordinances were replaced by Spanish manumission law guided by the Siete Partidas, eighteenth-century Spanish imperial law, and the bandos de buen gobierno. The differences were stark between the two colonial periods. For example, during the French period, enslavers were required to secure ratification of the Superior Council for any manumissions. In the Spanish period, not only could enslavers directly manumit their enslaved property, but enslaved people could also appeal to the Spanish Cabildo (Louisiana's governing body during the Spanish period) for their freedom. Coartación, the process of appealing for your freedom, allowed a critical mass of Africans and people of African descent to secure their freedom. The audacity, creativity, and resistance practice of enslaved people demanding their legal freedom from their owners through coartación laid the foundation for the free population of color that would emerge in the later years of the eighteenth century. Stories with this keywordJuan Francisco Is Interrogated about María JuanaMaría Juana Sues for Her FreedomMarie Aram Secures Her FreedomMaria and Carlota Gain Their FreedomCatharina Knows Her WorthBaptiste Is Freed by the Spanish GovernorAntoine Is Willing to Burn It All Down Wellness Keywords for Black Louisiana views “wellness” expansively and radically to encompass an array of practices. For Africans in Gulf Coast Louisiana, wellness meant more than their physical health. Enslavers demanded control over Africans’ bodies, minds, and futures (via their reproductive labor). Wellness, for Africans, meant wresting control of their whole selves from enslavers. Wellness could mean body autonomy (laboring as they wished, playing as they wished, imbibing food and drink as they wished). It could mean spiritual practices that protected and preserved African systems of belief or maintained ways of organizing the supernatural that varied from Catholic doctrine. It could mean play, mischief, or even behavior the French marked as crimes, such as theft or running away, since these crimes often created space for broader wellness practices (feasts, gatherings, and marronnage).
No description provided.
 Plate 23 of David Boilat’s Esquisses sénégalaises: physionomie du pays, peuplades, commerce, religions, passé et avenir, récits et légendes (Paris: P. Bertrand, 1853). Slavery Images: A Visual Record of the African Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Early African Diaspora, accessed September 6, 2023, https://slaveryimages.org/database/image-result.php?objectid=998. Along with misreading wellness practices as crimes, enslavers also misread wellness practices as superstition. In 1734 Le Page du Pratz, for example, described the creation of gris-gris, protective devices composed of natural and inanimate materials, as being “very superstitious and attached to their prejudices.” As Gwendolyn Midlo Hall notes, Reference to grigri is found in New Orleans court records in 1773. Charms ritually fabricated and worn for protection, as well as charms intended to harm others, have kept their African names to the present day. Zinzin, an amulet of support or power in Louisiana Creole, has the same name and meaning in Bambara. Grisgris, a harmful charm, comes from the Mande word gerregerys. The words zvanga and grisgris are still widely used in New Orleans by speakers of English as well as by Creoles.
No description provided.
 “Grisgris, Water Bottle & Pouch,” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, New York Public Library. New York Public Library Digital Collections, accessed September 6, 2023, https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-6eda-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. Stories with this keywordMama Comba's GombeauLuison Claims Her FreedomJanette and Pierre: Children Enslaved on the Same PlantationHypolite Is Sold at Public AuctionThe King's Doctor Certifies that Hypolite Is Very SickHypolite Seeks Treatment from the King's DoctorGuillermo, Catalina, and Her Children Are Sold at AuctionGuillermo, Catalina, and Her Children Are InventoriedFrançois Became More Ill Along the WayChef Dominique and Family Stay TogetherCatharina Knows Her WorthAntoine Is Willing to Burn It All Down The various resources that Hypolite manages to access during a long, painful illness shed light on medical care for the enslaved in colonial Louisiana.
Hypolite Seeks Treatment from the King's Doctor January 21, 1741 Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Jessica Marie Johnson Transcribed by Olivia Barnard Translated by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Annotated by Leila K. Blackbird Olivia Barnard Encoded by Leila K. Blackbird Olivia Barnard E. G. Palazzolo 2024 Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing http://www.scholarlyediting.org Association for Documentary Editing 2024 kol kol Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing is freely distributed by the Association for Documentary Editing and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing Co-Editor in Chief Noelle Baker Kathryn Tomasek Consulting Editor Silvia Glick Co-Managing Editor Robert Riter Jenifer Ishee Technical Editor Micro-Editions Editor Raffaele Viglianti 41 2167-1257 Louisiana Historical Center 1741-01-21-01 Facsimle available online at the Louisiana Colonial Documents Digitization Project. https://www.lacolonialdocs.org/document/5149. For eight months, an enslaved man named Hypolite experienced painful symptoms of a condition that made it difficult for him to breathe, eat, and labor for his enslavers. In the documents that follow, we learn that Hypolite's enslaver valued profit over Hypolite's health and life. His enslaver sold him, citing the costs of his care as the reason for the sale. This document consists of three parts. First, we see the enslaver's request to sell Hypolite. Next, we see the colonial administration approve that request. Lastly, the third section of the document captures the public auction that took place eight days later, in front of the parish church, where another enslaver purchased Hypolite.
Hypolite cherche des soins 21 janvier 1741 Transcription
Image of page Show Facsimile
 (14230) A Nos Seigneurs du Conseil Superieur de la Province de la Louisianne Nos Seigneurs supplie humblement le Procureur en Biens vacans, Disant que sur l'exposé qu'a fait le Sr. Dalcour, que le nommé hypolite Negre apartenant a la Succession de feu le Sr. Coustilhas ne luy rendoit depuis huit mois aucun service, a cause de sa maladie venerienne qui est parvenue a son dernier Periode, il a conlud a ce que le supp. t fit traitter le dit Negre .1 Le Suppliant a l'honneur de vous remontrer nos seigneurs, qu'il en couteron une somme considerable pour faire traitter Servir nourrir et Loger un negre attaqué d'une telle maladie que tout le monde craint autant qu'une fievre pourprée, que D'ailleur cette maladie ayant Monté a la Poitrine qui luy cause un toussement continuel, a joindre une grosseur extraordinaire survenue au Col qui tetouffe et l'empeche de pouvoir manger, ce qui donne lieu de Croyre que les depences pour le faire guerir ne serviroient a abreger ses jours, ainsi il conviendroit
Image of page Show Facsimile
 (14231) Mieux pour les Interets des heritiers du feu Sieur Coustilhas, que le dit Negre fut vendu dimanche prochain a la porte de L'eglise parroisialle a l'issue de la grande Messe d'en citer la totalle Sorte. Ce considéré nos Seigneurs il vous plaise ordonner ce que vous jugerez bon estre et ferez drois. D'auseville Permis la vente du Negre en question Ce 21 jan 1741 Salmon Aujourdhuy Vingt neuf Janvier mil Sept Cent Quarante Dix heures du matin a lissüe de La Grande Messe parroissaille du Cette et a la Requete de Sr. Dausseville procur r aux Biens Vacants chargé dela succession du feu Sr. De Coustilhas en Vertu du lord ce de monsieur De Salmon au base de lad Requete apres que les affiches et publications ordinaires ont eté faites par Le Normand huissier dans tous Les Endroits ordinaires a eté Exposé En Vente a la porte de L'Eglise au sortir de la grand messe ou sest trouvé nombres de personnes Vu Negre
Image of page Show Facsimile
 (14227) tres Infirme nommé hypolite ainsy que se prouve par lExposé de lad te Requete et le Certificat du M Prat Medecin du Roy Lequel Negre qui apres vu par differentes personnes pendant Lespace dune demy heure a Eté adjugé diffinitivement a françois Seguier a la Somme de Mil quatre Vingt Livres en payent Comptant lad Somme En mains du Sr Dausseville En sa qualité Lequel sest chargé du faire le Recouvrement par En Compter toutes effets et quanter quil En sera Requis et a led Seguier Signé avec mondsr Dausseville Le Normand huissier et Nous Greffier Sousignéz Vegay D'auseville
The King's Doctor Certifies that Hypolite Is Very Sick January 21, 1741 Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Jessica Marie Johnson Transcribed by Olivia Barnard Translated by Olivia Barnard Annotated by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Encoded by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird E. G. Palazzolo 2024 Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing http://www.scholarlyediting.org Association for Documentary Editing 2024 kol kol Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing is freely distributed by the Association for Documentary Editing and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing Co-Editor in Chief Noelle Baker Kathryn Tomasek Consulting Editor Silvia Glick Co-Managing Editor Robert Riter Jenifer Ishee Technical Editor Micro-Editions Editor Raffaele Viglianti 41 2167-1257 Louisiana Historical Center 1741-01-21-02 Facsimle available online at the Louisiana Colonial Documents Digitization Project. https://www.lacolonialdocs.org/document/5150. There were limited institutional options within colonial Louisiana medical care for Africans and their descendants. Sometimes enslavers consulted plantation or colonial doctors, such as Mr. Prat, the King's Doctor, whose words we read in this record. While we may assume Prat treated Hypolite, we witness how Prat's confirmation of Hypolite's sickness served as certification for Hypolite's enslaver, who then could justify the sale of Hypolite to colonial officials.2 Enslaved people occasionally received care at the public hospital,"L'Hôpital des Pauvres de la Charité," or Charity Hospital, which opened a few years before Hypolite became sick. Enslaved and free Black men, women, and children, such as Marie Aram and François Tiocou (who are mentioned elsewhere in this edition), worked in the hospital providing care for other Black, Indigenous, and Afro-Indigenous people in the colony.3 Enslaved people relied on their communities and healers, often women, who had knowledge of herbal and medicinal practices. These practices were rooted in African and Indigenous sacred knowledge systems, traditions, and techniques passed down over generations.4
Hypolite cherche des soins 21 janvier 1741 Transcription
Show Facsimile
 Je certifie a tous ceux quil appartiendra que le nommé paulite negre appartenant a la Succession de Monsieur de Coustillhas est attaqué dune toux très violente, et de tumeurs qui occupent la partie antérieure du col accompagnées de fièvre, ces accidents me paroissent être Causez par le virus variolique5 et mettent le malade en danger Evident de perdre la vie. En foy de quoy jay signé le pus pour Servir a telle fin que la raison a la N lle orleans la 21.e Jan.er 1741. Prat méde in
Hypolite Is Sold at Public Auction January 29, 1741 Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Jessica Marie Johnson Transcribed by Olivia Barnard Translated by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Annotated by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird Encoded by Olivia Barnard Leila K. Blackbird E. G. Palazzolo 2024 Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing http://www.scholarlyediting.org Association for Documentary Editing 2024 kol kol Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing is freely distributed by the Association for Documentary Editing and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Scholarly Editing: The Annual of the Association for Documentary Editing Co-Editor in Chief Noelle Baker Kathryn Tomasek Consulting Editor Silvia Glick Co-Managing Editor Robert Riter Jenifer Ishee Technical Editor Micro-Editions Editor Raffaele Viglianti 41 2167-1257 Louisiana Historical Center 1741-01-29-01 Facsimle available online at the Louisiana Colonial Documents Digitization Project. https://www.lacolonialdocs.org/document/5154. Before his enslaver sold Hypolite, colonial officials advertised for his sale. This document confirms that the advertisement was posted and that the public auction would occur on that day, January 29th 1741. We learn little from this record about the eight days Hypolite spent between the approval of his sale and when he was sold.6 Who cared for and comforted him? How might we imagine that he and his community on the Coustilhas plantation took care of one another in the wake of this news?
Hypolite cherche des soins 29 janvier 1741 Transcription
Show Facsimile
 Le publication d'un Execution a l'ordre du Monsieur de Salmon Commissaire ordonnateur de la Marine et premier juge au Conseil Superieur de cette province en datte du 21 du present mois a la req te du Sr Dausseville procureur aux biens vacants et comme chargé de la Suc on de feu Mr Coustilhas il va etre procedé tout presentement a la vente et adjud on d'une negre nommé politte apartenait a lad suc on infirme suivant le certifficat de Mr. Pratt Medecin du Roy En datte du 21re du present mois, ou toutes personnes seront recüe ay [illegible] En payment comptant le prix de leur adjunc on sans retour ny Garantye que pour sareté de lacquisition auque [illegible] personne nen ignore a la n lle orleans ce 29e janv.er [illegible] [illegible] publié et affiché par maj. marin le normand suppliant soussigné led.t jour mois et an que dessus Le Normand
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The open source code for this micro-edition is available at https://gitlab.com/scholarly-editing/se-microedition-kol.
© 2024 Scholarly Editing.
ISSN 2167-1257 | DOI 10.55520/6ZH06EW2
Logo of the Association for Documentary Editing