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| Diorama of slave market in the Museo Histórico de Cartagena de Indias |
August 23rd is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, created by UNESCO to honor the anniversary of the start of the Haitian Revolution in 1791, which resulted in Haiti becoming the first free black nation in the Americas in 1804.
By coincidence, it is also the anniversary of a heinous moment in my family history. On August 23, 1801, in the small Andean mountain town of Zapatoca, Colombia, my 5th-great-grandfather Juan Agustín Rueda Gómez (1772-1813) sold a slave boy who he inherited from his parental grandfather. This boy, named José María, was "10 years old, more or less," described as "mulato," and his parents were Juan José Millán, a freeman, and Feliciana, a slave woman. José María was sold for 135 pesos to Juan Agustín's father-in-law, my 6th-great-grandfather José Joaquín Gómez.
I think it is important that Latinos not only acknowledge their Native American, African, and European roots, but also acknowledge the role to slavery played in their families' past. Many Latinos, like myself, are descended from the enslaved Africans and Indians and the whites who enslaved them. Of the 11.2 million slaves abducted and sent to the Americas between 1502 to 1866, fewer than 400,000 ended up in North America. The rest headed to Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 200,000 arriving at Cartagena, Colombia's main slave port.
Researching my grandfather's family, I found through surviving church, court, and notary records the shocking truth, that many of my ancestors who settled the Santander region of Colombia in the 1600s and 1700s were also slave owners. Haunted by this knowledge, I created this blog to list the people who were enslaved by my ancestors. I cannot imagine how many families my ancestors destroyed, and how many lives my ancestors exploited and squandered. I cannot measure how much residual privilege I carry from generations of slave-owning in my family. I can record the names of those who lost the most precious gift of freedom to make sure we never forget the millions impacted by the Transatlantic slave trade, recognize that slavery was a genocide committed against Africa and black people, and honor the struggles for abolition that continue to this day.
Edward A. Rueda
New York, NY
~ THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE HELD IN BONDAGE ~
Slaveowner: Damiana Pérez de Rosales (c.1571-c.1647)
My 10th- and 11th-great-grandmother, widow of the merchant Cristóbal de Rueda, the immigrant Spaniard who founded the Rueda family in Colombia. She is listed in the 1620 census of Tunja, Colombia.
Alonso (fl. 1620) - A man described as "mulato" who was probably a servant but may have been a slave.
Isabel (fl. 1620) - An Indian woman who was probably a servant but may have been a slave.
Felipa (fl. 1620) - An Indian woman who was probably a servant but may have been a slave.
Catalina (fl. 1620) - An Indian woman who was probably a servant but may have been a slave.
Juana (fl. 1620) - An Indian woman who was probably a servant but may have been a slave.
Isabel (fl. 1620) - A second Indian woman with the same Spanish name who was probably a servant, but may have been a slave.
Slaveowner: Alonso de Rueda Rosales (c.1605? - 1681)
Born in Tunja, Colombia and wrote his will in 1681 in Girón, Colombia.
Gracia (fl. 1664) - A woman whose children include Miguel, seen below.
Miguel (baptized 1660 in Vélez) - A boy born to Gracia, seen above.
Slaveowner: Manuel Gómez Romano
My 9th-great-grandfather, born in Portugal and migrated to Vélez, Colombia.
Susana (fl. 1660) - A woman whose children include Ciprián, seen below.
Ciprián (baptized 1660 in Vélez) - A boy born to Susana, seen above.
Slaveowners: José Martín Moreno & Jerónima de Meneses
My 9th- and 10th-great-grandparents, who married in 1673 in Chanchón (now Socorro), Colombia and settled in San Gil, Colombia. José wrote his will in 1696 and the probate case occurred in 1708.
Juana (born c.1680) - A woman described as "mulata," listed in the 1696 will of José Martín Moreno, bought for 400 silver pesos.
Lorenza (born c.1684) - A woman described in 1708 as a "mulata" mother of two children, aged 4 years old and 5 months.
Slaveowner: Bernardo de Arenas (died 1704)
My 9th-great-grandfather, who wrote his will in 1704 and died in San Gil, Colombia.
Lucía - A woman described as "negra" who Bernardo de Arenas owned at the time of his first marriage, and who raised his children from both his marriages. Bernardo wanted Lucía freed after his death.
Martín - This boy originally was owned by Bernardo's mother, then as a "mulatillo" roughly 10 years old was inherited by Bernardo. Martín was subsequently sold to Cristóbal de Luengas Palacios.
A teenage boy - Nameless in Bernardo's will, described as a "mulatico" age 12 to 14 years old, who was part of the dowry of Bernardo's daughter, Inés de Arenas y Zabala.
Teodora (born c.1679) - A woman described as a "mulata," who was inherited by Bernardo's son, Lorenzo de Arenas y Zabala.
A young girl (born c.1701) - Nameless in the 1704 will, described as a "mulatica." She was inherited by Bernardo's son, my 8th-great-grandfather Felipe de Arenas y Zabala.
Slaveowner: Alonso de Rueda Sarmiento (1678-1721)
My 8th-great-grandfather, born in Guane, Colombia and died in San Gil, Colombia, who wrote his will in 1720.
Salvador (fl. c.1700) - A man described as "mulato," who was part of dowry for the marriage of my 8th-great-grandparents, Alonso de Rueda Sarmiento and Francisca Ortíz Navarro. Salvador had died by the time Alonso wrote his will in 1720.
Lorenzo (fl. 1720) - A man described as "mulato."
Petronila (fl. 1720) - A woman described as "mulata," and the mother of Juana and Domingo, seen below.
Juana (fl. 1720) - The young daughter of Petronila, seen above.
Domingo (fl. 1720) - The young son of Petronila, seen above.
Slaveowner: Antonio Tomás de la Parra Cano (c.1657-1729)
My 8th-great-grandfather, born in Guane, Colombia and died in San Gil, Colombia. Antonio wrote his will in 1729 and the probate case occurred in 1731.
Martín (born c.1701) - A man listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record.
Alonso (born c.1705) - A man listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record.
Salvador (born c.1716) - A boy listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record.
Gracía (born c.1695) - A woman listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record.
Antonia (born c.1722) - A girl listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record, who may have been the daughter of Gracia, seen above.
Sebastián (born c.1726) - A boy listed in the 1729 will and 1731 probate record, who may have been the son of Gracia, seen above.
Juan (born c.1730) - A boy listed in the 1731 probate record, who may have been the son of Gracia, seen above.
Slaveowner: Juan de la Cruz de Rueda y Gómez (c.1725-1800)
My 7th-great-grandfather, and the nephew of Alonso de Rueda Sarmiento, seen above. Juan de la Cruz was a wealthy tobacco farmer and landowner born in San Gil, Colombia. By the time of his death in 1800 in Zapatoca, Colombia, Juan de la Cruz owned 10 males slaves and 11 female slaves.
Juan Antonio (fl. 1768) - A man who married María Gregoria Quintero on September 12, 1768 in Zapatoca.
Feliciana (born c.1760s) - A woman whose partner was the freeman Juan José Millán and whose children included Isabel María Millán (bapt. 1783 in Zapatoca), Ignacio Patricio Millán (bapt. 1787 in Zapatoca), and José María Millán (bapt. 1789 in Zapatoca). One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Isabel María Millán (baptized 1783 in Zapatoca) - A young woman born to the freeman Juan José Millán and Feliciana, a slave woman. One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Ignacio Patricio Millán (baptized 1787 in Zapatoca) - A boy born to the freeman Juan José Millán and Feliciana, a slave woman. One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
José María Millán (baptized 1789 in Zapatoca) - A boy born to the freeman Juan José Millán and Feliciana, a slave woman. One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will. José María was sold on August 23, 1801 for 135 pesos by Juan de la Cruz de Rueda's grandson, Juan Agustín Rueda Gómez, to his father-in-law, José Joaquín Gómez.
Bernardo (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Martín (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Marcos (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Isidro (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Pedro (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Vicente (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Francisco (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Lino (fl. 1800) - One of the 10 male enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Juana (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
María (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Ventura (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Isabel (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Ignacia (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Concepción (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Andrea (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Gulelma (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
Encarnación (fl. 1800) - One of the 11 female enslaved people listed in the 1800 will.
