Date Original
1870 June 3
Description
This collection contains a labor contract between the Arkansas River Valley Immigration Company and a Chinese immigrant named Map Sam, signed in 1870. Map Sam agrees to work on Arkansas plantations for a term of three years in exchange for food, board, and salary. Administrative Information Publication Information
Biographical/Historical Note
After 1865 and the end of slavery, the Arkansas Valley Immigration Company started bringing Chinese immigrants to Arkansas to work on the plantations. This was a cheap way for plantation owners to replace the black labor force in the fields and fight against the increasing power of organized labor, which had become a threat to many plantation owners' businesses. Many of the Chinese laborers left their contracts before completion, but those who stayed in Arkansas started many businesses that served mostly the African-American communities. Chinese immigration was halted after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prevented members of the Chinese community from immigrating into the United States. This act not only stopped the immigration of the Chinese community; it also helped to keep wages low for minority workers. This document shows that the Asian community in Arkansas has deep roots dating back to the early 1870's.
Physical Description
Document, 8.5" x 11"
Geographical Area
Arkansas
Language
English
Identifier
SMC.001.007a
Resource Type
Text
Collection
Arkansas River Valley Immigration Company contract, SMC.001.007a
Publisher
Arkansas State Archives
Contributing Entity
Arkansas State Archives
Recommended Citation
Arkansas River Valley Immigration Company contract, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Rights
Use and reproduction of images held by the Arkansas State Archives without prior written permission is prohibited. For information on reproducing images held by the Arkansas State Archives, please call 501-682-6900 or email at state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Disciplines
United States History
