American Historical Ephemera & Photography

The answer of Isaac Shelby to a Bill in Chancery filed against him in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Kentucky by James M. Parberry & others. Kentucky, [ca early 1800s].

4pp, 7 5/8 x 12 3/8 in., completely separated along center fold with adhesive repair, creases at folds, toned.

Unsigned and incomplete draft related to the ongoing legal dispute surrounding ownership of "Sapling Grove," a property in present-day Bristol, Tennessee, that was originally acquired by Shelby's father, French and Indian War veteran and militia officer Evan Shelby (1720-1794). Document outlines Isaac Shelby's understanding of "the nature of the contract between James Parberry & said Evan Shelby" beginning in 1790 then continues to outline events pertaining to the disputed parcel as they unfolded up until approximately 1800. Notable is a mention of Isaac Shelby's intent to trade a contesting party "two likely young negroes one a man & the other a woman between the ages of sixteen years & twenty-six years for his interest in the land..."

Isaac Shelby was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 who served as the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky. An early settler of western lands that would become Kentucky, Shelby was an enslaver who actively participated in the buying and selling of African Americans. As indicated in this document, enslaved individuals were also utilized for bartering and estate settlement purposes, particularly in frontier economies.