1838 Phila. To Havana Shipping Document Involving Controversial Nicholas Trist
This document is a partly-printed U.S. commercial shipping document, specifically an "Oath of the Master and Mate," "Consul's Certificate," and "Merchants' Certificate" from the Port of Havana, Cuba, dated January 16, 1838.
Document Details
Purpose: These forms were used to certify the origin and contents of a cargo, likely to comply with trade laws and pay appropriate duties. The "Oath of the Master and Mate" attests that the goods originated in the United States and were not illegally traded.
Location & Date: The document was completed and signed in Havana on January 16, 1838.
Key Individuals Mentioned:
Nicholas P. Trist: Signed the Consul's Certificate as the United States Consul in Havana from 1833 to 1841. Trist was a controversial figure who faced accusations of involvement in fraudulent document schemes related to the illegal slave trade during his tenure.
Busto Sugar (likely "Busto y Sugar"): Signed as the merchant who provided the initial certificate.
Possene Smith (likely Jose R. Sobio/Smith): Signed the Master's oath.
Historical Context
Documents like this were part of the complex trade landscape of the era, which included significant controversy over the use of the U.S. flag to circumvent international treaties banning the slave trade. The British Commission in Havana actively investigated Trist's consulate regarding these practices, claiming the false documents allowed illegal sales of Africans into bondage.
This document is a partly-printed U.S. commercial shipping document, specifically an "Oath of the Master and Mate," "Consul's Certificate," and "Merchants' Certificate" from the Port of Havana, Cuba, dated January 16, 1838.
Document Details
Purpose: These forms were used to certify the origin and contents of a cargo, likely to comply with trade laws and pay appropriate duties. The "Oath of the Master and Mate" attests that the goods originated in the United States and were not illegally traded.
Location & Date: The document was completed and signed in Havana on January 16, 1838.
Key Individuals Mentioned:
Nicholas P. Trist: Signed the Consul's Certificate as the United States Consul in Havana from 1833 to 1841. Trist was a controversial figure who faced accusations of involvement in fraudulent document schemes related to the illegal slave trade during his tenure.
Busto Sugar (likely "Busto y Sugar"): Signed as the merchant who provided the initial certificate.
Possene Smith (likely Jose R. Sobio/Smith): Signed the Master's oath.
Historical Context
Documents like this were part of the complex trade landscape of the era, which included significant controversy over the use of the U.S. flag to circumvent international treaties banning the slave trade. The British Commission in Havana actively investigated Trist's consulate regarding these practices, claiming the false documents allowed illegal sales of Africans into bondage.
