African American Petition for Freedom
An Analysis of 4.7 “African Americans Petition for Freedom”
On January 13, 1777 African Americans petitioned for their freedom. This petition was presented to the Honorable Council and the House of Representatives of Massachusetts. The slaves petitioned that they deserved natural rights, on the basis of being human. This petition approached the Honorable Council and the House of Representatives by attempting to achieve freedom through a sympathetic style of persuasion.
This petition was part of “The George Washington Papers at the Liberty of Congress, 1741-1799.” It was created to ensure the freedom of African Americans, and to grant them natural rights. They wanted to be treated as equals of all mankind. The African American’s stated that they should not be sold as beasts, and that their natural human rights have been violated. Constant reasoning was used in the petition such as religion, human rights, and deprivation of social rights. The African American petition for freedom was highly aimed towards the sympathy of their people. The African Americans often mentioned the terrible circumstances that they had to face. They mentioned that they were to “Be sold Like Beast of Burthen & Like them Condemnd to Slavery for Life”. Many of their points consisted of unnatural conditions that humans should not endure. Its seemed as if they were begging to even be considered as they asked “Beseech your honours to give this peti[ti]on its due weight & consideration”. The African Americans that created this petition even stated that death was more desirable than their current way of life when quoting that “social priv-ilege of Every thing Requiset to Render Life Tolable is far worse then Nonexistance.”
The African American Petition for Freedom was asking for they’re intolerable way of life to be changed. Their terrible circumstances led them to beg for natural human rights. African Americans idea of freedom and liberty was to be treated as every other human
On January 13, 1777 African Americans petitioned for their freedom. This petition was presented to the Honorable Council and the House of Representatives of Massachusetts. The slaves petitioned that they deserved natural rights, on the basis of being human. This petition approached the Honorable Council and the House of Representatives by attempting to achieve freedom through a sympathetic style of persuasion.
This petition was part of “The George Washington Papers at the Liberty of Congress, 1741-1799.” It was created to ensure the freedom of African Americans, and to grant them natural rights. They wanted to be treated as equals of all mankind. The African American’s stated that they should not be sold as beasts, and that their natural human rights have been violated. Constant reasoning was used in the petition such as religion, human rights, and deprivation of social rights. The African American petition for freedom was highly aimed towards the sympathy of their people. The African Americans often mentioned the terrible circumstances that they had to face. They mentioned that they were to “Be sold Like Beast of Burthen & Like them Condemnd to Slavery for Life”. Many of their points consisted of unnatural conditions that humans should not endure. Its seemed as if they were begging to even be considered as they asked “Beseech your honours to give this peti[ti]on its due weight & consideration”. The African Americans that created this petition even stated that death was more desirable than their current way of life when quoting that “social priv-ilege of Every thing Requiset to Render Life Tolable is far worse then Nonexistance.”
The African American Petition for Freedom was asking for they’re intolerable way of life to be changed. Their terrible circumstances led them to beg for natural human rights. African Americans idea of freedom and liberty was to be treated as every other human