18. John Adams on The Stamp Act, 1865 “ We won’t be their Negroes. Providence had never intended the American colonists for Negroes…and therefore never intended us for slaves….I say we are as handsome as old English folks, and so should be free.” From Slavery to Freedom , 9 th Edition, 85.
19. Prince Hall Petition to Massachusetts Legislature to Abolish Slavery, 1777 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
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22. Partial Petition for Freedom 1873: one of five presented to the Massachusetts legislature between 1773-74