Enslaved Women and Creoles in Guadalajara’s Slave Market, 1615–1735

Abstract

ABSTRACT Based on an extensive documentary database, this study charts the evolution of the slave market in seventeenth-century Guadalajara. The case of colonial Guadalajara offers a fascinating contrast to the better-known markets of Mexico City, Puebla, and Veracruz. Contrary to what happened in those cities, the local slave trade to Guadalajara peaked after 1640. Slavery thus remained significant for the economy of the region until at least the beginning of the eighteenth century. The study shows how the slave market of Guadalajara transitioned from more enslaved Africans being sold at the beginning of the century to mostly American-born slaves sold at the end of the period; from mostly enslaved negros sold to a majority of enslaved mulatos; and from more enslaved men being sold at the beginning of the century to more enslaved women sold at the end. These processes happened in the midst of gradually decreasing slave prices across the whole period. By shifting away the focus from Central Mexico to a lesser-known place, this article nuances our understanding of the transatlantic slave trade to Mexico and offers a reinterpretation of the history of colonial Guadalajara’s slave market.