LongRoad2

Long Road to Freedom, continued

Many New England ship owners were heavily involved in the slave trade. Most of the slaves transported in New England ships were sold into the South or the Caribbean. It is thought, however, that there were as many as 2,000 slaves in Massachusetts by 1715.

In 1729, Plymouth businessman Isaac Lothrop entered into a business agreement with Tompson Phillips. Together, they bought two people.

One was a 14-year-old boy named Euro. The other was a 25-year-old man named Johnno.
	"Boy named Euro"

Euro and Johnno were bought as investments. Phillips was to take Euro to Jamaica and sell him there, sending Lothrop’s share of Euro’s purchase price to him as commodities that Lothrop could sell in Plymouth. Lothrop agreed to house the man Johnno in Plymouth for a year and teach him a trade.

	At the end of a year, Phillips would take possession of Johnno, paying Lothrop £40 for his half ownership in the man.
"Negro man Johnno"

For an image of the 1729 Lothrop/Phillips document (with a complete transcription), click HERE.