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Summary |
| (…) As recorded in the document that I present with all necessary solemnity, Mother Doña Beatriz Godinez de Luna, while she was abbess of the Monasterio de la Encarnación of this city and my party’s mistress, granted [Juana] her freedom upon her death under the condition that [Juana] does not leave the said cloister. | I have a document that proves that Juana would be granted her freedom when her enslaver died. The only condition of her freedom is that she should stay at the convent. |
| She had desired for her to live as a free person, but if [Juana] so desired to leave, four hundred pesos in pieces of eight shall be given, and no more, without which she shall not be sold, as explained at greater length in the said document to which I refer. | Her enslaver said that Juana could leave the convent and live as a free woman if she paid four hundred pesos. |
| Since said Mother Doña Beatriz Godinez has passed away as is public and well known, I therefore plead that, once this case that concerns my party’s liberty has been received, that no prelate may bother her because she is ready and willing to remain in this cloister as she has been up to this time. | Since her enslaver has died, Juana should be freed. Juana agrees to stay at the convent. |
| In order for it to be declared as such in accordance with the said will and so that no one may no one place any obstacle to it, I ask and request Your Mercy that, once this document has been presented, you be willing to declare that my party shall enjoy her said freedom since she will stay at the said cloister (…) | I ask that you grant Juana her freedom. |
Monasterio de la Encarnacion, Juana de Godinez sues Beatriz Godinez de Luna, 1687/1688. Archive of the Archbishopric of Lima. Translation by Aaron Taylor, Ph.D.
Background
Juana Godinez was a twenty-five-year-old enslaved Black woman who lived in one of the largest convents in Lima, Peru. Juana’s enslaver was a wealthy nun called Doña Beatriz Godinez de Luna. When the enslaver died, she left a will that said Juana could live in the convent as a free woman or pay 400 pesos for the right to leave.
The Mother Abbess of the convent did not follow the instructions in Beatriz’s will, so Juana sued her on March 10, 1687. The Mother Abbess said that wealthy nuns were expected to donate all of their possessions to the convent when they took their vows. According to the Mother Abbess, this meant Juana was the property of the convent and the will was invalid.
Eventually, the Mother Abbess let Juana purchase her freedom. Juana made a down payment of 200 pesos, promising to pay the remaining 200 pesos over the following year. When Juana was unable to pay the remaining money, she submitted to being sold to another enslaver.
About the Document
The document is written by Alonso de Arcos, Juana’s legal representative. In the letter, he lays out the conditions of Juana’s release as described in the will of her enslaver, Beatriz Godinez. He asks the Mother Abbess to free Juana and explains that Juana wants to remain in the cloister.
The document shows that enslaved women had access to the Spanish courts, but that this did not always guarantee positive outcomes.
Vocabulary
- convent: The home a community of nuns.
- Doña: The title for a Spanish woman of rank.
- Mother Abbess: The head of a convent.
- pesos: Spanish currency.
Discussion Questions
- Why did Juana Godinez sue for her freedom? What does this reveal about the rights of enslaved women in the Spanish colonies?
- Why did the Mother Abbess initially deny Juana Godinez her freedom? Why might she eventually have agreed to let Juana Godinez purchase her freedom?
- What does the case of Juana Godinez reveal about race and status in the Spanish colonies?
Suggested Activities
- APUSH Connection: 2.4 Transatlantic Trade
- Include this resource in a lesson about slavery in the colonial era. This document shows that enslaved people in the Spanish colonies could sue for their freedom, but that this did not always guarantee a good outcome.
- Combine this resource with The Middle Passage to examine the Atlantic Slave Trade in the Spanish colonies.
- Pair this resource with Fighting for Freedom in New Amsterdam and compare how enslaved women pursued freedom in the Dutch and Spanish colonies.
- For a larger lesson on women of color in the Spanish colonies, teach this resource alongside the following:
Themes
POWER AND POLITICS
New-York Historical Society Curriculum Library Connections
- For more resources relating to the Spanish colonies of the Americas, see Nueva York: 1613-1945.
