The cargo of the brig Patty
Much has been written about the complicated and lucrative “triangle” trade involving the transportation and sale of goods between the West Indies, New England and Africa, the “goods” being things like rum, sugar, molasses, salt, horses and other livestock and slaves. Connecticut was a major player in this market. The documents in the Patty Collection displayed below provide lists of the cargo that was forfeited by its owners, Riley and Hempsted, when the brig was seized by the French. The brig itself, only two years old and uninsured, was a major financial loss to Riley.
