State Historical Society of Iowa

Agreement of Labor Mr. Montgomery and Others

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Courtesy of DocsTeach, Agreement of Labor Mr. Montgomery and Others

Description

After the end of slavery, formerly enslaved individuals entered into labor contracts, often because new laws required them to, on penalty of arrest for "vagrancy.". In the highlighted document, Abner E. Lipscomb of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, entered into this labor agreement on December 24, 1866, along with many other people, including two families that had seven children under the age of 12. Many formerly enslaved people could not read or write. They indicated their consent to a contract by placing an "X" by their name. On this document, look for the "X" with Jack Montgomery's name. The source references the monthly wages of individuals ranging in age from 50 to 11. The top wage was 10 dollars a month, considering the average wage for a farm laborer in Iowa at the time was a dollar a day, the rate was significantly lower.

Source Dependent Questions

  • From whose perspective was the contract written? What was the historical context of the contract? How do you think that context impacted the options formerly enslaved individuals had for employment and the choices they could make?
  • What working hours were expected of all laborers listed on the contract? How many days a week were workers expected to work? How much time were laborers given to "rest and eat"?
  • What was expected in terms of payment if the contract was broken? How did the financial expectations in the contract limit economic freedom for black families?
  • What is the connection between the ratification of the 13th Amendment and the data presented in this map?

Citation Information

Agreement of Labor for a Mr. Montgomery and Others; 12/24/1866; Freedmen's Labor Contracts, 5/1865 - 12/1867; Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Record Group 105; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. Courtesy of Library of Congress