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All Men Are Created Equal? Keynote presentation by Dr. Spencer Crew
Four slaves submitted this freedom petition to the provincial legislature in Massachusetts.
Boston, April 20th, 1773.
Sir, The efforts made by the legislative of this province in their last sessions to free themselves from slavery, gave us, who are in that deplorable state, a high degree of satisfaction. We expect great things from men who have made such a noble stand against the designs of their fellow-men to enslave them. We cannot but wish and hope Sir, that you will have the same grand object, we mean civil and religious liberty, in view in your next session…
Peter Bestes,
Sambo Freeman,
Felix Holbrook,
Chester Joie.
Causes of Conflict Summer Institute 2010: Why Declare Independence?
Educational Service District 112 - Vancouver, Washington
1
All Men Are Created Equal? Keynote presentation by Dr. Spencer Crew
This petition is found in Revolutionary War papers, series 1, volume 37, document 251. It was edited by Vincent J. Rosivach in "Three Petitions by Connecticut Negroes for the Abolition of Slavery in Connecticut," Connecticut Review, Volume XVII, no. 2 (Fall, 1995), 79-92. While the petitioners are Blacks from New Haven, Connecticut, we do not know their number or identify. While the General Assembly received this petition, we have no evidence it was ever acted upon.
The exterior notation, "Negroes Memorial Octr 1788" apparently indicates when it was bound in the Revolutionary War series, but it was produced after the 1784 legislation that slaves born after 1 May, 1784, would be treated as indentured servants and emancipated by age twenty five. According to Rosivach, the writing of the petition suggests that the 1784 legislation proved to be unsatisfactory.
Petition of 1788 by slaves of New Haven
for the abolition of slavery in Connecticut
Handed by The Blacks of New Haven City Well wishers of themsels and All mankind Our AddreSas
To His Honour and to the Honourrabel
Genral Assembly
Honoured gentle man will you pleaseto Lend an eyar to the pooer opprased Africas Blacks that ar now In the Chaine Bondage - Gentlemen please to give The Leave to Give a little Ider of the Crueailtis that we Poore Slaves have to enduir and undergo
1ly
gentlemen wee are Dragd from our native Country for Life lyis Cruil Slavirre Leving our mothers our farthers our Sisters and our Brothers is this humen pea[p]le
2thly
further morgentlemen after wee have Ben and fought the grandest Battles that has Ben fought in this War the greats part of us - We and our children and our Brothers ar takend By fose of vialince and carred whear thay Suffer an Addisanl Sufrans wher wee ar Beaten and whealmed with Out Eni Cries or with eni Law Gentlemen will is this to Be Rite and justes is this a free contry No it murder
3ly
Gentelmen youwill freerLy allow us a human Bodys anve (?) as a prssus Sole to Save and how shal we and how shal wee Ever oBtaine that entrest in Jesus Christ for the Lov of our pressh Soles when ar we to seek it when wee ar a grat me[ny] (?) of us reprived of going to the house Gods to at tend pubblick woship or much more larning us our C A B or to reed the holy BiBle So as to no the word of god
4th
Now gentlemen wee wold wish to act a wisely part and with a mile Temper and good Dispersisan but can we help but Beg for murcy in this accation Don[t] gentlemen think us impirtinent for asking this favor for the Lord bath saide ask and it Shal [be] given we that can live prary let you us Liv[e]
5th
Now gentelmen we would wish to say nomore apon thi[s] Subject all our wishes ar that your Honours wou[ld] grant us a Liberration wee are all Deturmand we Can to[il] As Long as thir is Labor we woul wish no more to be in Sl[avery] to Sin Seene Christ is maid us free and nald our tanants to the Cross and Bought our Liberty
“Natural and Inalienable Right to Freedom”: Slaves’ Petition for Freedom to the Massachusetts Legislature, 1777.
The colonists’ revolutionary struggle against British political authority also raised issues about equality and human rights at home. Enslaved people throughout the colonies seized upon the rhetoric of liberty and equality to point out the contradiction of fighting Great Britain over principles not fully followed by the colonies themselves; they also appealed to Christian precepts. Scores of petitions flooded the newly established state legislatures. This one, submitted to the Massachusetts General Court in 1777, linked the cause of American freedom with the struggle of African Americans for liberty. Several lawsuits seeking freedom were successful. When Quok Walker sued for his freedom and back wages in 1781, the Massachusetts Chief Justice ruled that his enslavement violated the new state constitution’s statement that “men are born free and Equal.” His case effectively ended slavery in Massachusetts and other New England states.
To The Honorable Counsel & House of [Representa]tives for the State of Massachusitte [Massachusetts] Bay in General Court assembled, Jan. 13, 1777.
The petition of A Great Number of Blackes detained in a State of slavery in the Bowels of a free & Christian Country Humbly shuwith [showeth] that your Petitioners apprehend that thay [they] have in Common with all other men a Natural and Unaliable [inalienable] Right to that freedom which the Grat Parent of the Unavers hath Bestowed equalley on all menkind and which they have Never forfuted by any Compact or agreement whatever—but thay wher Unjustly Dragged by the hand of cruel Power from their Derest friends and sum of them Even torn from the Embraces of their tender Parents—from A popolous Pleasant and plentiful contry and in violation of Laws of Nature and off Nations and in defiance of all the tender feelings of humanity Brough hear Either to Be sold Like Beast of Burthen & Like them Condemnd to Slavery for Life—Among A People Profesing the mild Religion of Jesus A people Not Insensible of the Secrets of Rational Being Nor without spirit to Resent the unjust endeavours of others to Reduce them to a state of Bondage and Subjection your honouer Need not to be informed that A Life of Slavery Like that of your petioners Deprived of Every social privilege of Every thing Requisit to Render Life Tolable is far worse then Nonexistence.
[In Imitat]ion of the Lawdable Example of the Good People of these States your petitiononers have Long and Patiently waited the Evnt of petition after petition By them presented to the Legislative Body of this state and cannot but with Grief Reflect that their Success hath ben but too similar they Cannot but express their Astonishment that It has Never Bin Consirdered that Every Principle form which Amarica has Acted in the Cours of their unhappy Dificultes with Great Briton Pleads Stronger than A thousand arguments in favowrs of your petioners they therfor humble Beseech your honours to give this petion [petition] its due weight & consideration & cause an act of the Legislatur to be past Wherby they may be Restored to the Enjoyments of that which is the Naturel Right of all men—and their Children who wher Born in this Land of Liberty may not be heald as Slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years so may the Inhabitance of this Stats No longer chargeable with the inconsistancey of acting themselves the part which they condem and oppose in others Be prospered in their present Glorious struggle for Liberty and have those Blessing to them, &c.
Source: Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 5th Series, III (Boston, 1877), pp. 436–37.
Causes of Conflict Summer Institute 2010: Why Declare Independence?
Educational Service District 112 - Vancouver, Washington