John Hasbrouck (1806-1879) was born a "slave servant" to Jacob J. Hasbrouck, a wealthy New Paltz landowner. Although not legally considered a slave, he was listed in Jacob J.'s inventory along with his mother at a price of $125, illustrating the ambiguous nature of servitude, and that in practice a servant was very often not much different than a slave. After the death of Jacob, in 1806, John was inherited by Jacob's son Josiah. In 1811, Josiah Hasbrouck built Locust Lawn, a small mansion located south of the town of New Paltz. John was freed some time between 1820 and 1830 as evidenced by his account book, which documents the labor he provided, and the compensation he received for in return.




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