Slavery -- United States

The collection contains correspondence, legal documents, and accounting receipts and records relating to the Bigler, Sessler, and John families of southwest Virginia.

The collection consists of a handwritten announcement, dated August 3, 1840, regarding a runaway slave from the Cuckooville neighborhood of Louisa County, Virginia. Joseph Coats Jr., presumably the slave's master, describes in detail -- including physical characteristics and temperament -- the escaped 18 year old slave named Sam and offers a ten dollar reward for his capture.

Legal document from a Wythe County, Virginia man listing his land and slave holdings.

Robert Edminton was a Washington County, Virginia, land and slave owner. The collection consists an inventory which lists the amount and value of his land, farm, and slaves.

The Jeremiah W. Graves Collection includes a cash book, correspondence, receipts and ledger pages, newspaper clippings, and genealogy materials relating to the personal and business activities of Captain Jeremiah White Graves (1801-1878), a farmer and financial advisor/real estate broker/slave broker in Cedar Hill, Pittsylvania County, Virginia,

Genealogical materials in the collection relate to the histories for branches of the Graves, Whitehead, Hunt, and Jones families.

This collection contains a slave rental receipt issued by the Virginia Central Railroad Company in 1855 to Mrs. Elisabeth S. Lindsay. The receipt promises a payment of $175 to Lindsay after the one year rental period for the work of the slave, a man named Isaac, ends.

Virginia General Assembly Bill No. 233 contains several amended versions of Bill No. 233. Each of the bills lists the rights and privileges given to free African-Americans living with in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The bill also discusses the process by which a free person can be sold into slavery if they have been convicted of a crime.