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1798 United States Act of Congress, Vermont Assessor Appointment to Count Slaves

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1798 United States Act of Congress, Vermont Assessor Appointment to Count Slaves
Black History
Commissioners of the United States by Act of Congress Vermont Appoints an “Assessor” to Count Their Slaves !
October 23, 1798-Dated Federal Period, Partially-Printed Document Signed, “Royall Tyler” as Clerk, Congressional Act, Vermont Appointment of an Assessor to Value Lands and Dwelling Houses and to Enumerate Slaves, Choice Very Fine.
This official United States by Congressional Act government Document for the Appointment of Benjamin Fassett of Bennington, Vermont, to serve as Principle Property Assessor at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners of the United States, and serve at the will of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. This historic Document measures 8.5” x 13.75 and is mostly printed, then completed in manuscript, 1 page, some minor damage at the wax and paper seal on the centerfold. Docket on the blank reverse, along with the sworn signatures of both Assessors, accepting their Appointed duties with their “Support of the Constitution of the United States” one declaring, “So Help Me God” all boldly and clearly written and signed.

The purpose of this Document was to Appoint Regional Assessors to execute an Act of Congress, dated July 1798, that called for, “...the valuation of lands and dwelling houses, and the enumeration of slaves within the United States.” The enumeration was partly for the 1800 Census purposes, but is Black History related as it primarily determined the value of all the Slaves in the United States for taxation purposes. After all, slaves were nothing more than property, and valuable property they were. Signed by Royall Tyler as Clerk, countersigned by Moses Robinson, Jr. as Commissioner of the Second Division of the State of Vermont. On the back, Fassett signs his sworn oath, which was witnessed and notarized by Moses Robinson. Per Act of Congress approved July 9 and 14th, 1798 provides for “...the valuation of lands and dwelling houses, and the enumeration of slaves within the United States.” This historic 1798 United States census of property, including the enumeration of Slaves as property, was to provide for apportioning the collection of direct taxes from each State respectively.
Royall Tyler (June 18, 1757 – August 26, 1826) was an American jurist and playwright. He once courted Abigail “Nabby” Adams, the daughter of President John and Abigail Adams.

The First United States Census after the American Revolution was taken in 1790, under Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson; there have been 22 Federal Censuses since that time. The United States Census (plural censuses or census) is a decennial census mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, which states: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States... according to their respective Numbers... . The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years".

Section 2 of the 14th Amendment amended Article I, Section 2 to include that the "respective Numbers" of the "several States" will be determined by "counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.” The United States Census Bureau (officially the Bureau of the Census, as defined in Title 13 U.S.C. § 11) is responsible for the United States Census. The Bureau of the Census is part of the United States Department of Commerce.