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Remarkable archive documenting the triangular slave trade that was financed with British capital and operated by the important and successful Rhode Island merchants, Aaron Lopez and Jacob Rodrigues Rivera, spanning the period of the development and peak of their business through their deaths. The collection comprises 22 letters and documents dated from July 22, 1765–July 14, 1791, totaling over 40 pages, most signed by Lopez, Rivera, or their captain, Nathaniel Briggs.
Taken together, this archive places Lopez and Rivera squarely within the broader Atlantic commercial system that linked New England, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Great Britain in the 18th century. Rhode Island merchants were among the most active North American participants in the transatlantic slave trade, and Newport in particular emerged as a major hub by mid-century, fueled by distilleries that transformed Caribbean molasses into rum for export to Africa. These papers document that system not in the abstract, but at its operational core—through instructions, invoices, balance sheets, and correspondence that show how vessels, cargoes, enslaved people, and credit were converted into profit across multiple markets and jurisdictions. The routine language of trade underscores how deeply slavery was embedded in the everyday mechanics of Atlantic commerce.
The archive is especially significant for the clarity and continuity with which it records the triangular trade over more than two decades. From the loading of vessels and the dispatch of rum and provisions from New England, to the acquisition and shipment of enslaved people on the African coast, and finally to their sale in the West Indies, the documents trace the full commercial cycle with rare completeness. Few surviving collections document this process so consistently and in such detail, making this archive an unvarnished primary record of the transatlantic slave trade at its height and a sobering testament to the scale of human exploitation within 18th-century maritime commerce.
The archive, chronologically:
1. LS signed "Aaron Lopez for Self & For Jacob Rod's Rivera," three pages on two adjoining sheets, July 22, 1765, to Captain Nathaniel Briggs. In part: "You being…Master of our Sloop the Betsey…make the best of your way to the Coast of Africa. When please God you arrive there, endeavour to dispose of your Vessel & Cargo, provided you can obtain at Least One Thousand & one Hundred Pounds Sterling…But if you cannot sell her for Bills, and you can do it for Slaves to good advantage, and you have a prospect of shipping said Slaves on Freight to any part of the West Indies…when you have finished your Trade on the Coast, proceed with your Vessel & Slaves…to Kingston in the Island of Jamaica & there deliver whatever Slaves you may carry in on Account of the owners to Mr. Philip Livingston Junr. merchant there, to whom we shall give our necessary orders for the disposal of them…and we shall give Mr. Livingston orders to Account with you…from the Neat Sales of the Slaves at Jamaica that you may put in his Hands on our Account…We would in the strongest manner recommend to you…that you are Watchful of the security of the Slaves."
2. LS signed "Aaron Lopez for Self & For Jacob Rod's Rivera," one page both sides, July 31, 1767, to Captain Nathaniel Briggs. In small part: "The Brig. Sally, now under your command, being ready fitted for the sea, you are to embrace the first fair wind & proceed directly to the Granadas, where on your arrival, you are to dispose of your cargo."
3. LS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," one page both sides, May 6, 1768, to Nathaniel Briggs In part: "You being at present Master of our Brig. the Hannah…make the best of your for the Coast of Africa…dispose of your Cargo at any part of the Coast…then to Annamaboe, where the trade is more certain and the Slaves better & procure with your Cargo as many good Slaves as you can, such as will best fit the West India marketts…When you have finished your Trade there make the best of your way for the Island of Barbadoes, and endeavour to dispose of your Slaves there if you can do it to advantage, but if not you have Liberty to proceed to any other or more English Islands in the West Indies as far down as Jamaica, and dispose of your Slaves where you may be able to sell them to the greatest advantage…You are to purchase with the Neat proceeds of our Slaves Two Hundred Hogsheads good Molassses…but if no Molasses to be had, where you dispose of your Slaves & you can procure Rum in that Case you may get us One Hundred Hogsheads to be put on board."
4. ADS signed "Nath'l Briggs," one page, May–November 1768, headed "Invoice of My one Veuntor on Bore the Briganteen Hannah, My Self Master." In November, Briggs indicates that he is "bound from the Coast of Africa…account of my slaves as marked," listing men, women, and boys, as well as 1300 gallons of rum.
5. Manuscript document of merchants "Hart, Rosco & New," one page, October 22, 1768, being an account of "Messrs. Ri[vera] and Lopez of Rhode Island," recording payments and disbursements amounting to a balance of £549.12.10.
6. Manuscript DS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," one page both sides, January 10, 1770, headed: "[Inv]oice of Sundrye Merchandize Shipped by Jacob Rod. Rivera &…Lopez on Board Ship Cleopatra, Capt'n Nathaniel Briggs." The invoice records 100 boxes of spermaceti candles valued at £6,967, 25 hogsheads codfish valued at £3851, 5 hogsheads scale Fish, and various quantities of shad, mackerel, lamp oil, pork, hard soap, light flour, pine boards, white oak hogshead heading and staves, shaken hogsheads, red oak hogshead staves, hogshead hoops, and shingles, the whole cargo totaling over £23,111. This document reveals that the bulk of the Cleopatra's cargo was spermaceti candles. Miriam K. Freund in her classic study, Jewish Merchants in Colonial America, explains: 'The manufacture of sperm oil and candles was introduced by this group of Jews and Jacob R. Rivera was the 'first person to engage in the manufacture, having acquired a knowledge of that business in Portugal before coming to America.' This spermaceti industry 'was the first experiment of its kind in the colonies and was long a monopoly here and no inconsiderable source of wealth.''
7. LS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," three pages on two adjoining sheets, July 4, 1770, to Captain Nathaniel Briggs, carrying instructions for the sale in Africa of the sloop Cleopatra and its cargo, in exchange for slaves to be later sold in the West Indies. In part: "Make the best of your way for the Coast of Africa…dispose of our Interest…in the manner You may judge most for our Interest & invest the proceeds of both in a good Cargo of Slaves…come away with all the Slaves You can bring off…should you not find a market at Barbados for your Slaves that may encourage you to accept you have liberty to proceed to any one or more Islands…When you have finished the Sales of your Slaves in an y part of the West Indies you are to remit…proceeds to Messrs. Hayley & Hopkins Merchants in London in good Bills of Exch'e." In a postscript signed by Lopez, he adds: "You are allowed Twelve Slaves Privilege, Mr. Paul—Six, Mr. Manchester—Two, The Cooper—One, Capt'n English—Four, Mr. Price—Two—provided the Sloop is not sold at the Coast."
8. Manuscript DS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," four pages on two adjoining sheets, July 4, 1770, headed: "Invoice of Sundry Merchandize Shipped…on Board Ship Cleopatra." The invoice lists "220 Hogsheads New England Rum," plus smaller quantities of Madeira wine, cordials, molasses, sugar, spermaceti candles, tallow, butter, Castile soap, rice, peas, flour, gammons, tobacco, tar, turpentine, pitch, beef, pork bread, pine boards, hoops, powder, cod fish, beaver hats, textiles, and other merchandise.
9. Unsigned manuscript document, four pages on two adjoining sheets, no date but circa 1770, being another "Invoice of Sundry Merchandize Shipped…on Board the Ship Cleopatra," listing "192 Hogsheads New England Rum" and smaller quantities of sundry other goods.
10. Manuscript DS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," one page, July 5, 1771, headed: "Invoice of Ship Cleopatra." The invoice lists various quantities of buckshot, powder, fish sein, round Windsor charis, sagathee, garden seeds, gold basket coat buttons, hemp stockings, corn, frocks, and trousers.
11. Manuscript DS signed "Aaron Lopez," one page both sides, July 8, 1771, being a balance sheet for the previous year, listing wages and expenses incurred "on board ship Cleopatra, on a Voyage to the Coast of Africa."
12. LS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera" and "Aaron Lopez," one page both sides, December 14, 1772, to Captain Nathaniel Briggs, concerning the "Proceeds of the Cleopatra's last Cargo of Slaves," various financial transactions to satisfy debts in London, and the West Indian trade in molasses and sugar.
13. ALS signed "Nath. Briggs," one page both sides, July 12, 1773, to Lopez and Rivera, reporting on the success of his trade in rum and slaves from "Annamaboe," Ghana. In part: "This is my first optunety…to in form you of my safe arivel hear in forty nine days…I have sold all thy Rum and have dilivered one hundred hhd's but such prises you never new. Slaves are now at three hundred & twenty gals. Men & womans at two hundred that is Capt. Gardner prises."
14. ALS signed "Nath. Briggs," one page both sides, December 7, 1773, to Lopez and Rivera, concerning the shipment of two cargos amounting to some 200 slaves and his difficulties in acquiring more. In part: "This is By your Ship the Cleopatra which I have sent of acord in to your orders to Capt. Benjamen Wright at Savannah…with ninty good Slaves all in good order which I hope will arive, thair to a good Markit and good Sailes. I shold sent off More But twas not in My power to Corlect them soon as the trad at this time Vere Dul and Slaves Sease—as to informeing you when I shall sail tis not in My power to teal but as soon as posbel Can the times are Vere Dul at this time—as to the purcheas of both Cargers will a Mount to 200 Slaves or thair abouts But Cant iestley tel I am much on well and have bin for this four Mounts past and Mr. Manchester to[o] and the Co[o]per has not Dun any work sence came on the Coast…Realey is Dead and the Most part of us [on] bord are Sickley.—As to purch[as]ing Slaves for bills I Dont Expet to Git any as the Gover of Cape Cost & governor of annamboe are going of not only that they have ships of their [own] that Cair of thair [own] Slaves So they Dont sel Slaves for Bill as yoursel."
15. Partly-printed DS signed "Nath. Briggs," one page, February 8, 1774, in part: "Shipped…by Nath. Briggs on account of Jacob Rod. Rivera and Aaron Lopez…one hundred and fifty slaves all in good order."
16. Manuscript DS signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera," one page, February 21, 1776, headed: "Capt'n Nathaniel Briggs, in acco't curr't with Jacob R. Rivera." The balance sheet covers the period from November 1767 to February 1776, showing that wages were paid for "his negroes Quam & Newport on board the Ship Africa" on July 25, 1774.
17. Manuscript DS signed "Aaron Lopez," one page, August 20, 1776, headed: "Capt'n Nathaniel Briggs & Co to Aaron Lopez." The account shows a month's worth expenses for eleven hogsheads of New England rum, costs for carting and wharfage, and various payments made.
18. Manuscript DS signed "Aaron Lopez," one page, December 31, 1777, headed: "Capt. Nathaniel Briggs In Account with Aaron Lopez." The account records various payments and expenses, including "wages due…[for his] Negro Quam & Newport."
19. Partly-printed DS signed "Nath'l Briggs," one page, August 22, 1785. A bill of lading for "the good Ship called the Three Friends…riding at anchor in the port of Newport and by God's Grace bound for Africa," listing its cargo as staves, rum, rice, pork, flour, beef, peas, shakes, hoops, boards, codfish, molasses, sugar, onions, candles, butter, canvas, bread, and more.
20. Unsigned manuscript document, one page, July 24, 1787, headed: "The Aers of Phillip Briggs deceas'd to Ebenezer Shearman," recording expenses for Briggs' funeral, including costs of wine and rum, a "fine Lining to cover a Coffin," "300 boards for ye Coffin," and others.
21. Manuscript document signed "Jacob Rod's Rivera," one page, November 28, 1787. In part: "Be it remember'd that I have under my Controul the following property belonging to Cap't Nathaniel Briggs," listing one-eighth of gold dust brought by Capt. E. Shearman, one-eighth of eleven barrels of gum guaiacum, and shares of other monies.
22. Manuscript DS signed "Ab. Rods. Rivera, Executor to the Estate of Jacob R. Rivera, Dec's," one page, July 14, 1791, headed: "Capt. Nathaniel Briggs in acc't curr't with the Estate of Jacob Rod's Rivera Dec'd," listing expenses for cash payment, sundry items, and a share of "Ships Enterprise & Dispatch."
In overall fair to very good condition, with tears, staining, and areas of paper loss throughout, with several of the most significant papers having been expertly silked for preservation; those that have not remain quite fragile.
