Petition of Slaves

solicit of Slaves to the mummy Legislature On January 13, 1777 seven African-American men in mamma came together to go to the courts and their goal was to gain supernumerarydom. These men were slaves and in order for them to be set free they had the choice of running absent, with the happening of getting caught, or gathering a entreat to take to the Massachusetts court. Just because these men had a petition does non mean that it would be passed. The Massachusetts colonial government had no say in reservation slaves free or not.Back in the day slaves were seen as people that were not book smart because they lacked education and that meant they could not read or import but they knew their rights. The slaves were much underestimated but they turned to the Constitution to prove their rights. The African-American slaves knew their rights and they fought against the Massachusetts colonial government because under the Constitution their rights were taken away from them when they h ad every(prenominal) right to be free. Quok Walker was an African-American slave who was a part of the Massachusetts petition attempt in 1777.A couple of historic period later, in 1781, Walker sued the Massachusetts government because of a phrase that the Massachusetts Constitution contained. As the great Thomas Jefferson solid groundd in 1776 in the Constitution, All men argon created affect. Walker shared this phrase with the cite of Massachusetts and because of Walker, he was wholeness of the get-go people that helped Massachusetts. Massachusetts was the offset state to abolish slavery. Every someone in this country has rights and if those rights are ever denied thusly that person has the right to fight for their rights.Walker did not sole(prenominal) fight for his rights but he fought for every slave in the state of Massachusetts. Walker then gave other states the strength and courage to do what he did and he helped them stand up for what they believed in. Walker w as not the only one who stood up to the government. A woman by the name of Mumbet went against her slave possessor in court. Whoever said slaves were not smart were very wrong. For people with no education they were very clever people. Elizabeth Freeman, to a fault known as Mumbet, was also an African-American slave with Walker.She went to an attorney to try to fight for her freedom. The attorney helped her and the topic was opened. She was fighting for her freedom and this racing shell, Brom & Bett v. derriere Ashley, Esq. , is now one of the most cardinal and famous cases in the state of Massachusetts. John Ashley fought and fought to try and win this case but eventu anyy gave up and dropped out of the case. It eventually became obvious to John Ashley that under the constitution it was not legal to hold a person into slavery. It was all for the great Constitution that the United States of America has.Maybe slaves were not the ruff spellers because of the lack of education bu t they still got their point across. constitutionl Right of all menand their Children who wher Born in this Land of Liberty may not be heald as Slaves after they arrive at the age of 20 one years so may the Inhabitance of this Stats No longer guilty (Boston, 1877). This is an paraphrase from the petition that was create verbally in 1877 for the Massachusetts Legislature. This is from the original petition but the current petition has been altered.They were very smart people who helped croak the end of slavery. The petition of slaves was written in 1777. The declaration of independency was written in 1776. Only a year apart and they share a similar phrase, Laws of Nature. 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 homosexuality Brough catch Either to Be sold ilk Beast of Burthen & Like them Condemnd to Slavery for Life (Boston, 1877). This is an excerpt from the petition of Massachusetts. When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have affiliated them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which theLaws of Natureand of Natures God lenify them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. This is an excerpt from the contract bridge of Independence. They both share the same insights in what they see as equality and freedom.A line that stood out in the Declaration of Independence that relates to the beg is, Right of the People to alter or to abolish it This part of the Declaration is talking round the government and how they have power but it is up to the people to truly decide if they feel that certain laws are equal for everyone. It is under the constitution that people have rights even if the government is preceding(prenominal) them. The Petition s eemed to be very successful. Quok Walker and Elizabeth Freeman are the devil people who started the movement to end slavery.After the petition and the court hearing, slaves were now free in the state of Massachusetts. It was said that slavery was not completely gone but did end at the end of the eighteenth century. Freeman became a paid servant and a book was later written about her. It is great that some people were not afraid to stand up for their rights and fight for what they believe in. These slaves from the eighteenth century started a movement that then passed on to other states. They gave the idea to other slaves to also stand up for themselves. To be a slave was not legal under the constitution.Slavery first ended in Massachusetts but it took many more years to be abolished in this country. All it took was two people to stand up and it led to a movement that will now be forever known. Outline I. Introduction A. Petition of Slaves B. African Americans fight for their righ ts C. ThesisThe African American slaves knew their rights and they fought against the Massachusetts colonial government because their rights were taken away from them when they had every right to be free. II. Elizabeth Freeman III. Petition requests A. Explanation of the petition requests B. work force gather togetherC. Slaves argue against the Massachusetts government IV. Start to the end of slavery A. Primary justification for freedom B. Independence for African- Americans C. Quok Walker V. Declaration of Independence VI. Conclusion A. Restatement of thesis B. Petition success C. Freedom is gained Works Cited Archives. com. The Declaration of Independence A Transcription. The Charters of Freedom. Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 5th Series, III (Boston, 1877), pp. 43637. Masshist. org. African Americans and the End of Slavery in Massachusetts. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.