Commentary No. 014
Date: 1515, June 15.
Theme: Royal license issued to Francisco de Esquivel to ship six “Black slaves that are Christian” from Seville to La Española
Source: PARES, Portal de Archivos Españoles—Archivo General de Indias, INDIFERENTE,419,L.5,F.419V - 1-Imagen Núm 1/1
This royal order of mid-June of 1515, issuing a license to a Francisco de Esquivel to ship six enslaved Blacks, apparently all males, to La Española, either by taking them with him on a trip or through somebody else authorized by Esquivel, is an example of the type of slave licenses often granted by the Spanish Crown during the initial decades of the sixteenth century to individuals like Esquivel who either traveled to the colony or sent representatives or associates to do business there on their behalf. The only condition pertaining to the issuing of the license was that the Black slaves mentioned had to have been baptized as Christians at least two years prior to their being shipped to La Española.