Early manuscript DS in Spanish, signed "Juan Antonio Blanco Guerrerro" and "D'a Maria Vaez," one page, 8.25 x 6, October 8, 1777. Extraordinary, early freedom charter for an Asian slave in America, in full (translated): "Sir Secretary, Don Francisco Lopez de Zuniga, Please grant a freedom letter to Luisa Baez, Chinese, born in my house. I have received 450 pesos, so we consider ourselves as paid and free from all rights, and thus, we declare that the mentioned servant was given to us as part of a dowry with other servants." In fine condition.
Though it is well known that the enslavement of Asian peoples grew in the Americas during the 1840s, scant records of the practice exist prior to that. One famous story is that of Catarina de San Juan, known as the China Poblana, an Asian slave brought to Mexico through the Spanish East Indies during the 17th century, who was venerated as a popular saint in Puebla de los Ángeles until the Holy Inquisition prohibited open devotion to her. This particular document, likely originating from Cuba, documents the freedom of a Chinese slave in 1777—an exceptionally early example of such a document. Research finds no records of the sales of any similar document granting freedom to a Chinese slave at such an early date.
