Franco

1868 · 0012122 — Matanzas Cuba. Poor with no dust jacket. 1868. Non-Book. On offer is a relic of the Chinese Coolie Trade being an 1868 manuscript document written on behalf of a Cuban man who owns the contracts of several Chinese men working as bricklayers in his factory. This document is dated August 5 1868 and is signed by Don Jose Franco Diaz a Cuban man who owns the contracts of Chinese people who are in Cuba laying brick to build the factory he is funding on Calzada de Estevan possibly Esteban . In it Diaz informs the Governor of Matanzas that one of the Chinese men he has contracted Justo “has committed several breaches of subordination…” and requests that “Your Honor arrange for the said Asian Justo to be admitted to the correctional person where he will be assigned to public work for fifteen days”. A response to the request is written and signed by what appears to be a government official on August 9th 1868. The Chinese coolie trade a system of indentured labor that targeted young poor Chinese men operated from 1847-1874. The coolie trade took place in large part between the shipping port in Macao now a part of China then under Portuguese rule and Havana Cuba then under Spanish control. Coolies were transported from China on ships many of which had formerly been used as African slave ships Yun & Laremont 2001. The coolie ships often had slave names eg Africano Mauritius or ironic names Dreams Hope Live Yankees Wandering Jew Yun & Laremont 2001 p. 110. Many did not survive the journey with “approximately 16400 Chinese coolies dying on European and American coolie ships to Cuba during a 26-year period” Yun & Laremont 2001 p. 111-112. This accounted for a mortality rate of 12-30% though on some voyages the death rate reached 50% as in the case of the Portuguese ship Cors in its 1857 sailing. These deaths were caused by violence rebellions thirst suffocation and sickness Yun & Laremont 2001. To learn more about the Chinese coolie trade and its importance in world history click here to read our in-depth research blog on the topic. This document provides insight into the interaction between Cuban owners of coolie contracts the men in Cuba on coolie contracts and the local government. The document measures approx 8.5x13 inches and is in Fair condition with age toning fraying at the edges small rips and tears and some small defects to the centre of the document that obscures approximately four words. The ends of about 6 words are obscured due to small tears at the side of the page. Overall Fair to Poor. ; Manuscripts; 4to 11" - 13" tall; 2 pages; Signed by Author . unknown