Article submitted by Nicholle Young; Summary written by Cheri Todd Molter
In December 1827, James Moffett advertised his desire to hire out (or rent to others) 16 to 18 of the people he enslaved, including men, women, boys, and girls, for the upcoming year. That practice allowed people to profit from their enslaved individuals’ labor without having the expense of providing for their survival, since their food, clothing, and healthcare were often provided by the people who hired them for the year. Moffett described one of the individuals he was hiring out as “a first rate Blacksmith.”
Source: Fayetteville Weekly Observer, Fayetteville, North Carolina • Thu, Dec 27, 1827 – Page 1
