Rachel of Kittery, Maine facts for kids
Rachel of Kittery, Maine (who died in 1695) was an African-American enslaved woman living in the New England area of Maine. She was mistreated by the person who enslaved her, Nathaniel Keen. He was later put on trial for what happened. This court case was important because it set a new rule for how juries would decide cases where an enslaver harmed an enslaved person. We know about Rachel from old documents called the Province and Court Records of Maine. Rachel lived in the town of Kittery in York County, Maine. She was owned by Nathaniel Keen and died in late 1694 or early 1695 due to severe mistreatment.
The Court Case of Rachel
Nathaniel Keen was arrested and charged with harming Rachel around May 1, 1695. His trial took place on May 16, 1695. Important judges, including Thomas Danforth, Elisha Cook, and Samuel Sewall, were present.
Samuel Sewall was a strong supporter of the rights of enslaved people. He later wrote a book called The Selling of Joseph in 1700. In this book, he argued that slavery should be ended in New England. Rachel's case and Nathaniel Keen's trial helped Sewall decide to become an abolitionist, someone who wanted to end slavery.
The jury in Rachel's case decided that Nathaniel Keen was "guilty of cruelty" to Rachel. They found him guilty of cruel beating and harsh treatment, rather than the original charge of murder. This case became a "test case," meaning it set a new example for future trials. Sadly, this example meant that enslavers might be found guilty of cruelty instead of murder. It also set a low value for the life of an enslaved person at that time.
About Nathaniel Keen
Nathaniel Keen bought land near Kittery, Maine, in 1687 and more land in 1691. He married Sarah Greene in 1688 and had seven children.
Keen was found guilty of cruelty and was supposed to pay a fine of 10 pounds and 10 shillings (which was like ten guineas). However, this fine was put on hold. At the time of the trial, Keen owned a good amount of land. His yearly income was not very high, so the fine was probably more than he could easily pay. This is likely why the fine was delayed.
Nathaniel Keen died in 1722. Three years later, in 1725, his total property was valued at 705 pounds, which was a large sum of money back then. His will, a document that says how his property should be divided, listed his lands and household items. However, it did not specifically mention any enslaved people. This suggests that by the time he wrote his will, he did not own any enslaved people.
Rights for Enslaved People in New England
During this time, enslaved people were generally seen as property. The laws mostly protected the rights of their owners. However, enslaved people did have some important legal rights that made them different from farm animals.
Even though they were considered property, enslaved people were also recognized as individuals in some ways. As a person, an enslaved individual in New England had a right to life. An enslaver could punish an enslaved person, but purposely killing them was considered a serious crime. Still, there were very few cases where an enslaver was charged with killing an enslaved person. Some historians believe that it was not common for enslavers to kill enslaved people because it meant losing valuable "property."
