In December of 1790 the Selectmen of Salem, Massachusetts directed the town constable to notify or “warn” a list of 103 Black Salem households that if they were not “lawful” inhabitants of Salem they must depart within 15 days. The original manuscript of the Constable’s report back to the selectmen provides information on the noticed individuals, their families, and their places of origin. The presentation will include a comparison of the purpose and content of the 1790 census and warning documents; their value to reconstructing individual biographies, family histories and community; and under-used archival resources.

Beth Bower is an archivist and historian studying Massachusetts' early African-descended communities and relevant archival resources. Her current research focuses on Salem's African American community from the mid-18th to early 19th century.