After reading the two short primary source documents listed below, construct an essay based on the following question:

How and why did black people use the language of the American Revolution—of natural rights—in freedom petitions to argue for their freedom and the abolition of slavery?

Your essay should be based on your reading and analysis of the primary source documents. Your paper should be 2 to 3 pages in length and use double-spacing and 12 point font. Please use MLA style.

AMH2092OER: African American History and Culture

Module 4: Primary Resource Document

Source Overview: The freedom petition, written by a slave named Felix in January 1773, was the first

of five such petitions submitted to Massachusetts governor, Thomas Hutchinson, the General Court,

over the next two years. This petition was soon published as a pamphlet, which ensured wider

circulation of the petitions message and purpose. While there had been other freedom petitions

submitted to courts, this was the first one brought before a legislature in New England. (PBS, n.d.) (1)

PETITION OF SLAVES IN BOSTON.

PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

To His Excellency, Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., Governor: —

To the Honorable, His Majesty’s Council, and to the Honorable House of Representatives, in

general court assembled at Boston, the 6th Day of January, 1773: — The humble petition of many

slaves living in the town of Boston, and other towns in the province is this, namely: —

That Your Excellency and Honors, and the Honorable the Representatives, would be pleased to

take their unhappy state and condition under your wise and just consideration.

We desire to bless God, who loves mankind, who sent his Son to die for their salvation, and

who is no respecter of persons, that he hath lately put it into the hearts of multitudes on both sides of

the water, to bear our burthens, some of whom are men of great note and influence, who have pleaded

our cause with arguments, which we hope will have their weight with this Honorable Court.

We presume not to dictate to your Excellency and Honors, being willing to rest our Cause on

your Humanity and justice, yet would beg Leave to say a Word or two on the Subject.

Although some of the negroes are vicious, (who, doubtless may be punished and restrained by

the same laws which are in force against other of the King’s subjects) there are many others of a quite

different character, and who, if made free, would soon be able, as well as willing, to bear a part in the

public charges. Many of them, of good natural parts, are discreet, sober, honest, and industrious; and

may it not be said of many, that they are virtuous and religious, although their condition is in itself so

unfriendly to religion, and every moral virtue except patience? How many of that number have there

been, and now are in this province, who have had every day of their lives embittered with this most

intolerable reflection, that, let their behavior be what it will, neither they nor their children to all

generations, shall ever be able to do, or to possess and enjoy any thing — no, not even life itself — but

in a manner as the beasts that perish!

We have no Property! we have no wives! we have no children! we have no city! no country!

But we have a Father in heaven, and we are determined, as far as his grace shall enable us, and as far

as our degraded contemptuous Life will admit, to keep all his commandments; especially will we be

obedient to our masters, so long as God, in his sovereign providence, shall suffer us to be holden in

bondage.

It would be impudent, if not presumptuous, in us to suggest to Your Excellency and Honors,

any law or laws proper to be made in relation to our unhappy state, which although our greatest

AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture
Module 4: Primary Resource Document

unhappiness, is not our fault; and this gives us great encouragement to pray and hope for such relief as

is consistent with your wisdom, justice and goodness.

We humbly beg leave to add but this one thing more: we pray for such relief only, which by

no possibility can ever be productive of the least wrong or injury to our masters, but to us will be as

life from the dead.

SIGNED, FELIX. (15)

AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture
Module 4: Primary Resource Document

Works cited

“Africans in America – Felix’s Petition.” PBS.org, accessed on 2 May, 2018,

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h22.html .

Attributions

(1) Content by Florida State College at Jacksonville is licensed under CC BY 4.0

(15) “Felix” (Unknown) Slave Petition for Freedom (January 6. 1773) in The Appendix: or Some

observations on the expediency of the petition of the Africans living in Boston… by Lover of

constitutional liberty is in the Public Domain.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h22.html

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://archive.org/details/appendixorsomeob00love/page/8

https://archive.org/details/appendixorsomeob00love/page/8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

Freedom Petition of Felix (Unknown)
Sources
Works cited
Attributions

AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture

Module 4: Primary Resource Document

Source Overview: This freedom petition from 1777 was presented to the Massachusetts General

Court by Prince Hall, a free black man who lived in Boston, along with nine other black

petitioners. Hall is also known for founding the first black freemasonry lodge in American

history during the revolutionary era.(1)

To the Honorable Counsel & House of Representatives for the State of Massachusetts Bay in

General Court assembled, January 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 showeth that your Petitioners apprehend that they have in

Common with all other men a Natural and [Unalienable] Right to that freedom which the Grat

Parent of the Universe that Bestowed equally on all menkind and which they have Never

forfeited by any Compact or agreement whatever — but that wher Unjustly Dragged by the hand

of cruel Power and their Derest friends and sum of them Even torn from the Embraces of their

tender Parents — from A populous Pleasant and Plentiful country and in violation of Laws of

Nature and of Nations and in Defiance of all the tender feelings of humanity Brough here Either

to Be sold like Beast of burthen & Like them Condemned to Slavery for Life — Among A

People Professing the mild Religion of Jesus A people Not Insensible of the Secrets of Rational

Being Nor without spirit to Resent the unjust endeavors of others to Reduce them to a state of

Bondage and Subjugation your hononuer Need not to be informed that A Live of Slavery Like

that of your petitioners Deprived of Every social privilege of Every thing Requisite and render

Life Tolable is far worse that Nonexistance.

[In imitat]ion of the Lawdable Example of the Good People of these States your

petitioners have Long and Patiently waited the Event of petition after petition. By them presented

to the Legislative Body of this state and cannot but with Grief Reflect that their Success hath

been but too similar they Cannot but express their Astonishment that It have Never Bin

Considered that Every Principle from which America has Acted in the Course of their unhappy

Difficulties with Great Briton Pleads Stronger than A thousand arguments in favors of your

petitioners they therfor humble Beseech your honours to give this petition its due weight and

consideration & cause an act of the legislature to be past Wherby they may be Restored to the

Enjoyments of that which is the Natural right of all men — and their Children who wher Born in

this Land of Liberty may not be held as Slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years so

may the Inhabitance of this States No longer chargeable with the inconstancy of acting

themselves that part which they condemn and oppose in others Be prospered in their present

Glorious struggle for Liberty and have those Blessings to them, &c. (16)

AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture
Module 4: Primary Resource Document

(1) Content by Florida State College at Jacksonville is licensed under CC BY 4.0

(16) Petition for freedom to the Massachusetts Council and the House of Representatives,

January 1777 by Massachusetts Historical Society is in the Public Domain.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://www.masshist.org/database/557

https://www.masshist.org/database/557

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

Freedom Petition of Prince Hall
Attributions