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1777-12-06 Mention: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]
Item
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Title
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1777-12-06 Mention: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]
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Identifier
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NJS-EVE-00029
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Event Description
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Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh (1736-1790), first president of Queen's College (later Rutgers), mentioned a Black man in a letter to his father Col. Johannes Hardenbergh (1706-1786) written on December 6, 1777. The letter was sent from Hardenbergh's parsonage in Raritan (present-day Somerville), and was likely sent to Rosendale, NY, where his father lived. Written in Dutch, the letter states "Schrijve dese wynige in haast, wijl de neger gereet maakt om af te gaan." The English translation is: "Writing these words in a hurry while the negro is getting ready to leave." These words most likely refer to an enslaved Black man who was working at Hardenbergh's parsonage at this time; the man's name is not recorded.
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Event Type
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Mention
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Date
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6 December 1777
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County (Modern)
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Somerset
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County (Historical)
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Somerset
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Participant Details
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DETAILS FOR PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS:
*** Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh] ***
Role: Mentioned Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Unknown
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh Sr. (1736-1790)
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DETAILS FOR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:
Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh Sr. (1736-1790)
Role: Enslaver
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Record Contributor
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Jesse Bayker