Dorcas (b. 1817)

Item

Person Record Title
Dorcas (b. 1817)
Identifier
NJS-PER-00665
Given Name
Dorcas
Birth Date
1817
Sex
Female
Biographical Description
Dorcas was one of the victims of Jacob Van Wickle's slave trading ring in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in 1818. The legal documents related to the removal of Dorcas from the state of New Jersey to Louisiana suggest that she was born around 1817 and was aged 1 when she was forced to leave New Jersey for Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, together with her mother Christeen and sister Diannah.

Under New Jersey's gradual abolition law, she had the status of a slave for a term of 21 years. This meant she was bound to serve her enslaver until age 21, and then she would become eligible for emancipation. Her right to emancipation at age 21 was recorded by the judges who authorized her removal from New Jersey at age age 1. However, going to Louisiana as a child effectively deprived her of the opportunity to gain freedom because enforcing her legal rights under New Jersey law would be nearly impossible in Louisiana.
Place of Significance
South River
Pointe Coupee Parish, LA
Sibling of
Diannah (b. 1809)
Record Contributor
Jesse Bayker

Linked resources

Items with "Primary Participant: Dorcas (b. 1817)"
Title Class
1818-03-09 Removal: Christeen, Diannah, Dorcas Event
Items with "Parent of: Dorcas (b. 1817)"
Title Class
Christeen (b. 1781) Agent
Items with "Sibling of: Dorcas (b. 1817)"
Title Class
Diannah (b. 1809) Agent
Items with "Enslaver of: Dorcas (b. 1817)"
Title Class
Charles Morgan (1775-1848) Agent
Nicholas Van Wickle (1796-1865) Agent