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Photographs (left to right): Bee Balm. Rush, New York: Bay Berries, Rush, New York; Thistle, Adirondacks, New York
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Wampum Historic Ads |
NOTES TO THE WAMPUM ADVERTISEMENTS
George R. Hamell
It is clear that New York City merchants served as the major distributors of wampum beads during the period covered by the advertisements. As expected, Philadelphia merchants were also supplying wampum beads for the interior Fur Trade.
From these distribution centers wampum and other Fur Trade goods were carried into the interior with the Hudson River and the Mohawk River being the one identified route in the advertisements. A couple of the later advertisements corroborate the assumption that much of the wampum at this date was being made in wampum factories in Northern Jersey, including the Campbell factory, and being shipped with other good from New Jersey to New York City.
Wampum beads undoubtedly continued to be made as a “cottage industry” in the greater Manhattan area by Whites, Indians, and whoever else had access to the necessary tools and raw materials as had been the case since the mid-17th century. Wampum was manufactured in Albany as well, but Albany merchants also served as major re-distributors of wampum purchased in New York City. For example merchants who supplied Sir William Johnson’s wampum needs.
The period after 1800 requires further newspaper research. No wampum newspaper
advertisements were found dating earlier that the ones represented here, although the online newspaper database extended back to 1690. From 1729 on numerous references to wampum were noted in news reports from the “frontier” describing relations with Indian groups and between Indian groups. If you were literate or had a friend who was literate, and you had access to newspapers, you would have received a basic education in the cross-cultural functions and meanings of wampum strings and wampum belts in reading them.
This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004.
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Argus, published as The Argus, & Greenleaf's New Daily Advertiser; Date: 08-15-1795; Issue: 84; Page: [3]; Location: |
Commercial Advertiser, published as New - York Commercial Advertiser; Date: 07-10-1820; Volume: XXIII; Issue: |
Argus, published as The Argus, & Greenleaf's New Daily Advertiser; Date: 05-28-1795; Issue: 16; Page: [1]; Location: |
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New-York Daily Gazette, published as New-York Daily Gazette.; Date: 12-12-1791; Issue: 924; Page: [3]; Location: New York, New York |
New-York Packet, published as Loudon's New-York Packet; Date: 05-08-1786; Issue: 591; |
Pennsylvania Packet, published as The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser; Date: 02-14-1782; Volume: XI; |
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| Pennsylvania Packet, published as The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser; Date: 11-24-1778; Page: [4]; Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
New-York Gazette, and Weekly Mercury, published as The New-York Gazette; and the Weekly Mercury; Date: 03-24- 1777; Issue: 1326; Page: [4]; Location: New York, New York |
New-York Journal, published as The New-York Journal; or, the General Advertiser.; Date: 07-26-1770; Issue: 1438; Page: 102; Location: New York, New York |
