Collection Guide
Using the Collection
Access Statement
The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation is committed to digitizing the entire U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive and freely sharing that digitized content with the public. Physical access to the archival material is not available at this time. However, researchers may contact the Foundation directly to inquire about special usage.
Rights Statement
Researchers should be aware that any use of materials from the collection must comply with U.S. copyright law and other legal requirements.
Material contained within the Archive that was created prior to 1928 is considered public domain; materials created after 1928 are subject to U.S. copyright law. Use of materials created after 1928 for any purpose beyond fair use requires the permission of the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of materials and obtain permission from the copyright owner before using or reproducing any materials from the collection.
The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation retains all rights to intellectual property associated with the U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive. Documents from the Archive may not be used for commercial purposes.
Preferred Citation
The U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive. The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation, 2026.
Standard Subject Headings
Illustration Inspiration
The silhouettes used throughout the platform depict everyday gestures—familiar postures, quiet moments, and human connections—yet each figure is wrapped in the words of actual documents from the archive. While not portraits of specific individuals, the images evoke the resilience found throughout the historical record. The documents appear as clothing to symbolize the circumstances people lived through, without letting those circumstances define who they were. In their most intimate moments with those they loved, they were truly seen, and that has been kept alive to this day. Click below to explore the original archival document.
Dancing (Correspondence Regarding the Emancipation of an Enslaved Woman Named Milly and Her Children, 1830)
Discovering (Financial record regarding an Enslaved Person named Richard, 1851)
Dreaming (Receipt regarding an Enslaved Person named Henry, 1847)
Going (Financial record regarding an enslaved person named George, 1852)
Home (Correspondence regarding emancipation of an Enslaved Woman named Unija, 1796)
Leaving (Correspondence Regarding an Enslaved Person named Harriet, 1838)
Lifting (Correspondence Regarding an Enslaved Person Named George, 1831)
Loving (Correspondence Concerning a Freedom Bond for Delia Holman, 1840 - Freedom bond that secures Delia Holman's emancipation (has a surname, evidence of marriage?)
Negotiating (Estate record regarding Enslaved Persons used to pay debts, 1850)
Praying (Pamphlet Titled Second Annual Report of the American Anti-Slavery Society, 1835)
Protecting (Bill of sale for Enslaved Children)
Reflecting (Receipt for an Enslaved Person named Ginny, 1847)
Resting (Financial record regarding a free Black sharecropper, 1867)
Sharing (Correspondence Advocating Freedom for Enslaved Persons, 1835)
Storytelling (Correspondence Concerning Enslaved Individuals of the January Family, 1835)
Wondering (Bill of Sale for an Enslaved Woman, 1857)
Collection Guide
Using the Collection
Access Statement
The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation is committed to digitizing the entire U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive and freely sharing that digitized content with the public. Physical access to the archival material is not available at this time. However, researchers may contact the Foundation directly to inquire about special usage.
Rights Statement
Researchers should be aware that any use of materials from the collection must comply with U.S. copyright law and other legal requirements.
Material contained within the Archive that was created prior to 1928 is considered public domain; materials created after 1928 are subject to U.S. copyright law. Use of materials created after 1928 for any purpose beyond fair use requires the permission of the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of materials and obtain permission from the copyright owner before using or reproducing any materials from the collection.
The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation retains all rights to intellectual property associated with the U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive. Documents from the Archive may not be used for commercial purposes.
Preferred Citation
The U.S. Slavery & Abolition Archive. The Edward E. Haddock, Jr. Family Foundation, 2026.
Standard Subject Headings
Illustration Inspiration
The silhouettes used throughout the platform depict everyday gestures—familiar postures, quiet moments, and human connections—yet each figure is wrapped in the words of actual documents from the archive. While not portraits of specific individuals, the images evoke the resilience found throughout the historical record. The documents appear as clothing to symbolize the circumstances people lived through, without letting those circumstances define who they were. In their most intimate moments with those they loved, they were truly seen, and that has been kept alive to this day. Click below to explore the original archival document.
Dancing (Correspondence Regarding the Emancipation of an Enslaved Woman Named Milly and Her Children, 1830)
Discovering (Financial record regarding an Enslaved Person named Richard, 1851)
Dreaming (Receipt regarding an Enslaved Person named Henry, 1847)
Going (Financial record regarding an enslaved person named George, 1852)
Home (Correspondence regarding emancipation of an Enslaved Woman named Unija, 1796)
Leaving (Correspondence Regarding an Enslaved Person named Harriet, 1838)
Lifting (Correspondence Regarding an Enslaved Person Named George, 1831)
Loving (Correspondence Concerning a Freedom Bond for Delia Holman, 1840 - Freedom bond that secures Delia Holman's emancipation (has a surname, evidence of marriage?)
Negotiating (Estate record regarding Enslaved Persons used to pay debts, 1850)
Praying (Pamphlet Titled Second Annual Report of the American Anti-Slavery Society, 1835)
Protecting (Bill of sale for Enslaved Children)
Reflecting (Receipt for an Enslaved Person named Ginny, 1847)
Resting (Financial record regarding a free Black sharecropper, 1867)
Sharing (Correspondence Advocating Freedom for Enslaved Persons, 1835)
Storytelling (Correspondence Concerning Enslaved Individuals of the January Family, 1835)
Wondering (Bill of Sale for an Enslaved Woman, 1857)
Download Metadata
This file encompasses all the metadata fields used to describe every record within the collection. It provides detailed descriptions of the documents, including their provenance, authorship, date range, and other pertinent metadata, so you can better understand the context and significance of each item.
Metadata Structure
- Asset ID - A system-generated number that appears after the title at the end of the published URL
- Quartex UniqueIdentifier - A second, longer system-assigned identifier.
- Quartex Name - The filename or "Document ID" associated with an individual asset.
- Collection(s) - All the groups of assets to which the asset is assigned.
- Published URL - A direct link to the asset on the published website.
- Title - A name given to the resource, either supplied by the individual assigning metadata or from the object.
- Contributor - An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource (e.g. editor, transcriber, illustrator).
- Creator - The corporate body, person, or family responsible for an entire body of materials. However, a creator can also be responsible for the intellectual or artistic content of a single item.
- Date - Date(s) of creation are the dates that the documents in the unit being described were originally created (e.g., date of writing a letter, drawing a map, or painting a portrait) or the date that an event or image was captured in some material form.
- Description - An account of the resource.
- Format - The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.
- Language - Language(s) of the resource.
- Rights - Information about rights held over the resource.
- Subject Heading - The topic of the resource, typically represented using keywords.
- Location - Specifies the current physical location of the item within the repository or institution.
- Date(s) Expanded - Detailed information about relevant dates associated with the item, including creation and acquisition.
- Named Person(s) - Identifies individuals significantly related to the item, such as creators or subjects.