Decline of slavery in the North
In answer to Matthew Ryan's question in the comments above, the turning point in the North was 1775-1776, when Lord Dunmore's proclamation offered freedom to slaves to escaped to help the British and then the Declaration of Independence brought the contradictions between slavery and American rhetoric about liberty and equality to the forefront. Many revolutionary state governments eventually had to match the British offer. Slaves began escaping, serving in the armies on both sides, and petitioning for their own freedom. Beginning with a Massachusetts
court decision in 1780, the northern states abolished slavery in various ways one by one over the next 24 years, with New Jersey bringing up the rear in 1804.
We will talk a lot more about this later when we talk about the Revolution.
court decision in 1780, the northern states abolished slavery in various ways one by one over the next 24 years, with New Jersey bringing up the rear in 1804.
We will talk a lot more about this later when we talk about the Revolution.
posted by Jeff Pasley at 12:19 AM
2 Comments:
How Capt. M. M. Miller of the Ninth Louisiana convince five hundred african americans to go down south and fight? At the time I would have thought that since they were free that they would want to stay up north. Did he force them to fight or did they do it willingly?
Is this from the reading, or from if not from where? I am drawing a blank. If this unit was from Louisiana, they probably did not "go down south." Perhaps Miller offered them freedom, which (ironically) the Confederates were being forced to do by the end of the war. Or he just paid them.
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