# "Petition of a Grate Number of Blackes" to Thomas Gage

Petition of people of Massachusetts to Governor Thomas Gage and the Members of the Massachusetts General Court The rhetoric of natural rights appealed directly to African American slaves as it had to women. Although white patriots frequently adopted the analogy between taxation without representation and slavery, they rarely, if ever, recognized the irony of the analogy for those whom they enslaved. However, the irony was not lost on colonial blacks. Adopting the language of rights and liberty, slaves frequently petitioned for their freedom during the Revolutionary era. The document reproduced below is the petition of a group of Boston slaves who eloquently attempted to remind white colonists that liberty and freedom should not be limited by race.
To his Excellency Thomas Gage Esq Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over this Province
To the Honorable his Majestys Council and the Honourable House of Representatives in General Court assembled may 25 1774
The Petition of a Grate Number of Blackes of this Province who by divine permission are held in a state of Slavery within the bowels of a free and christian Country
Humbly Shewing
That your Petitioners apprehend we have in common with all other men a naturel right to our freedoms without Being depriv'd of them by our fellow men as we are a freeborn Pepel and have never forfeited this Blessing by aney compact or agreement whatever. But we were unjustly dragged by the cruel hand of power from our dearest friends and sum of us stolen from the bosoms of our tender Parents and from a Populous Pleasant and plentiful country and Brought hither to be made slaves for Life in a Christian land. Thus we are deprived of every thing that hath a tendency to make life even tolerable, the endearing ties of husband and wife we are strangers to for we are no longer man and wife then our masters or mestresses thinkes proper marred or onmarred. Our children are also taken from us by force and sent maney miles from us wear we seldom or ever see them again there to be made slaves for Life which sumtimes is vere short by Reson of Being dragged from their mothers breest. Thus our Lives are imbittered to us on these accounts. By our deplorable situation we are rendered incapable of shewing our obedience to Almighty God how can a slave perform the duties of a husband to a wife or parent to his child How can a husband leave master and work and cleave to his wife How can the wife submit themselves to there husbands in all things. How can the child obey thear parents in all things. There is a great number of us sencear. … members of the Church of Christ how can the master and the slave be said to fulfil that command Live in love let Brotherly Love contuner and abound Beare yea one nothers Bordenes. How can the master be said to Beare my Borden when he Beares me down which the Have chanes of slavery and operson against my will and how can we fulfill our parte of duty to him whilst in this condition and as we cannot searve our God as we ought whilst in this situation Nither can we reap an equal benefet from the laws of the Land which doth not justifi but condemns Slavery or if there had bin aney Law to hold us in Bondage we are Humbley of the Opinon ther never was aney to inslave our children for life when Born in a free Countrey. We therefore Bage your Excellency and Honours will give this its deu weight and consideration and that you will accordingly cause an act of the legislative to be pessed that we may obtain our Natural right our freedoms and our children be set at lebety at the yeare of twenty one for whoues sekes more petequely your Petitioners is in Duty ever to Pray.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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