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About the Caribbean Document Collection

The Caribbean Documents digital collection includes a selection of correspondence and documents concerning various aspects of business and life in the Caribbean from the 1750s through the 1850s.

The digitized materials cover a range of Caribbean islands, including Antiqua, Barbados, Dominica, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and Martinique. The letters document a broad range of topics, mostly of a business nature, including finances, shipping, plantations, and slavery. The letters also touch upon legal and political issues, as well as personal affairs. The documents are primarily financial and legal materials relating to slavery, annuity accounts, rum, shipping, and trade.

Additional materials from the Caribbean Documents Collection are available for research upon request in the University of Miami Libraries Special Collections, including plantation records and slave registers. A full description and list of all materials in this collection are available in the Caribbean Documents Collection Finding Aid.

To see documents related to business and trade in nineteenth century Cuba, visit the Edward Spalding Papers digital collection.