Charles Thompson (b. 1799)

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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
Identifier
NJS-PER-02654
Given Name
Charles
Family Name
Thompson
Birth Date
1799
Sex
Male
Biographical Description
Charles Thompson was a boy of mixed ancestry born circa 1799. He ran away from a man named Abraham Woodruff, who lived in Trenton, in December 1816. He was described by Woodruff as "an apprenticed Mulatto Boy." It is uncertain whether Charles Thompson had been born free or enslaved.

Note that the term apprentice traditionally referred to a free-born youth who entered into a long-term labor agreement with a tradesman with the goal of learning a skilled trade. However, enslavers in New Jersey sometimes used the term apprentice to describe Black boys who were born into slavery and who were promised freedom at some future date after many years of service. This differed from a traditional apprenticeship, and Black people in this situation could still be bought and sold.
Keywords
African descent person
Places
Trenton
Enslaved by
Abraham Woodruff
Record Contributor
Kate Jackson
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