Skip to Main Content
Digital Public Library of America
  • Home
  • Browse by Topic
  • Browse by Partner
  • Exhibitions
  • Primary Source Sets
  • My Lists
  • About DPLA
  • News
  • DPLA Pro
  • Home
  • Browse by Topic
  • Browse by Partner
  • Exhibitions
  • Primary Source Sets
  • My Lists
  • About DPLA
  • News
  • DPLA Pro
Primary Source Sets
The Panic of 1837
A receipt for the sale of twenty four bales of cotton sold on behalf of Aaron Spell, March 25, 1836.

A receipt for the sale of twenty four bales of cotton sold on behalf of Aaron Spell, March 25, 1836.

This document and the following document are receipts for cotton sold on behalf of cotton planter Aaron Spell on two separate occasions, one before the panic, in 1836, and one during the panic, in 1840. On this receipt, the numbers in columns represent bale numbers and weights. The total weight is then multiplied by the price paid per pound of cotton, in this case seventeen cents per pound for the first group of fifteen bales, and sixteen cents per pound for the second group of nine bales. Varying sale prices may suggest that some of the cotton was better quality than the rest. The notes at the bottom of the receipt detail additional charges deducted from the total sale price, such as shipping, storage, insurance, and broker’s fees.

Transcription:

Sale 24 Bales Cotton by order and for account of Aaron Spell Esq.

Sold N N Wilkinson

A Spell

[[object Object]]

Bale 7; Weight: 440

Bale 28; Weight 434

Bale 14; Weight 406

Bale 10; Weight 412

Bale 4; Weight 492

Bale 23; Weight 400

Bale 17; Weight 433

Bale 9; Weight 400

Bale 16; Weight 378

Bale 21; Weight 425

[[object Object]]

Bale 18; Weight 454

Bale 2; Weight 423

Bale 13; Weight 430

Bale 8; Weight 430

Bale 15; Weight 423

4223 [[object Object]] 2160 [[object Object]] 6383 @ 17¢ [[object Object]] $1085.11

(Total weight from column 1 top plus total weight from column 2 top)

[[object Object]]

Bale 20; Weight 421

Bale 19; Weight 420

Bale 1; Weight 382

Bale 25; Weight 411

Bale 3; Weight 416

[[object Object]]

Bale 26 / Weigt 420

Bale 24 / Weight 406

Bale 5 / Weight 455

Bale 2 / Weight 407

2050 [[object Object]] 1688 [[object Object]] 3738 @ 16¢ [[object Object]] $598.08

(Total weight from column 1 bottom plus total weight from column 2 bottom)

[[object Object]] $1683.19

Charges

Paid freight at $1.25 per bale...$30.00

[[object Object]] River Insurance on $70 “[[object Object]]” [[object Object]] ¾% [[object Object]] Pol[[object Object]] $1...13.60

[[object Object]] fire @ ¼% [[object Object]]... 4.21

[[object Object]] Drayage Storage Labor and Weighing @ 50 ¢ [[object Object]]...12.00

Commission 2 ½...42.08

[[object Object]] 101.89

Net Proceeds Dollars $1581.30

E + OE Due in cash 5 April

New Orleans 26 March 1836 for Leigh Maddux & C.

M. Conway

Show full description
Citation Information
Leigh Maddox & Co., “Aaron Spell Wilkinson Account, 1836,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/d6a3d383e56b13a025bbbc65f59d992e.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of Mississippi State University Libraries via Digital Library of Georgia.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience

Item 10 of 12 in the Primary Source Set The Panic of 1837

Previous ItemNext Item
A letter from the cashier at Mohawk Bank in Schenectady, New York to William Hayes about a deposit to his account, 1834.
A five-dollar bill issued by Kirtland Safety Society Bank of Kirtland, Ohio, 1837.
A revolving table tool designed to calculate interest rates, 1839.
An excerpt from Sylvester's Bank Note and Exchange Manual, 1833
Excerpts from The Pocket Cambist, a guide for exchanging currency between countries, 1836.
A political cartoon representing negative public opinion and political opposition to the agenda of President Andrew Jackson, circa 1832.
A political cartoon issued in July 1837 that depicts a New York City street scene demonstrating the impact of the Panic of 1837.
An excerpt from an 1834 pamphlet with arguments from New York businessmen about effects of removing federal money from the national bank.
An 1841 token alluding to “hard times,” or the Panic of 1837, and targeting the policies of President Van Buren.
A receipt for the sale of twenty four bales of cotton sold on behalf of Aaron Spell, March 25, 1836.
A receipt for the sale of thirty bales of cotton sold on behalf of Aaron Spell, February 9, 1840.
A court document recording the settlement of a debt owed by Lancaster McNay through the transfer of five enslaved women and girls, 1839.

These sets were created and reviewed by teachers. Explore resources and ideas for Using DPLA's Primary Source Sets in your classroom.

To give feedback, contact us at info@dp.la. You can also view resources for National History Day.

DPLA

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • How Can I Use DPLA?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Harmful Content
  • About DPLA
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • News

Tools

  • Primary Source Sets
  • Browse by Partner
  • Browse by Topic
  • Exhibitions
  • My Lists
  • Search

DPLA Pro

  • DPLA Pro Home
  • Prospective Hubs
  • Hub Network
  • Developers
  • Education
  • Projects
  • Ebooks
  • Events
Donate
DPLA Home
FacebookInstagramTwitter