Description:

FREE 'PERSON OF COLOR' IS GIVEN A 'LICENSE' TO LIVE IN MISSOURI
Most unusual partly-printed D.S., 1p. legal folio, Ste. Genevieve Co., Mo., Aug. 5, 1857. The Clerk of the County Court orders: '...Sampson Cox, a free person of color, aged about 26 years...of good speech, of good personal appearances, and no apparent deformity of person...he is of the class of free persons of color who may obtain such License [to reside in Missouri]...according to the statute in such cases made and provided...' Signed by the court clerk at conclusion. Folds, very lightly toned, overall near fine. Missouri law required Blacks to obtain a license every time they moved to a new county. Free black residents also had to establish ten years of continuous residency and show self-support and good character. In 1837, a free Black man in St. Louis challenged the License Law, which was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court. Clearly such laws were created so that the courts could 'pick and choose' those Blacks they approved to live within their jurisdictions. We sold a similar document a year ago for a Black woman summoned to court for not having such a license - it brought $1,600.

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December 6, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000