Charles F. Heartman Manuscripts of Slavery Collection"The Charles F. Heartman Manuscripts of Slavery Collection consists of over 4000 pieces dating from 1724 to 1897, and relate directly to the social, economic, civil, and legal status of enslaved Negroes and Free People of Color in Louisiana, especially in the city of New Orleans.
Approximately half of the Charles F. Heartman collection consists of municipal records from city of New Orleans. Clerical books, especially those of the Third Municipality, provide valuable information on the labor and leisure activities of slaves in the early nineteenth century. The city also had the largest concentration of Free People of Color in the nation, and encompassing tax records and business bonds reflect their economic activity. There are also rosters of Negro soldiers in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, and records of societies of Freemen dating from Reconstruction and beyond.
Currently, the Charles F. Heartman Collection is in the process of being digitally converted for long-term preservation and utilization for future researchers, students, and scholars. This continuing process extends Mother M. Agatha Ryan’s mission to not only assemble, but educate on the history of Slavery in the South, while preserving the value of cultural heritage as Charles F. Heartman deemed necessary for the future of African Americans. As this collection continues to be digitized and added online, please feel free to visit the Digital Collections website to see our progress."