Posted on 07/12/2021 6:27:56 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
Abraham Lincoln was right when he declared that, at the time of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the Constitution, it was widely expected that slavery was on the wane, and would soon die out. That broad sentiment is actually a matter of public record, but that record has been effectively suppressed.
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Massachusetts in the Lead
In 1767, the General Court of Massachusetts (the equivalent of the House of Representatives) passed a bill “to prevent the unnatural and unwarrantable custom of enslaving mankind in this province and the importation of slaves into the same.” That is, the most representative body in the state called for complete abolition of slavery.
What happened then? The King’s representative, Governor Bernard, vetoed the bill.
In 1768 the same bill was passed again, only to be met with the dissolution of the body by the Governor.
Fast forward to 1771. This time it was the General Court and the Council which took the decision to abolish the slave trade. The bill was vetoed by Governor Hutchinson.
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And Then in Virginia
The last case I want to mention in this short summary came in Virginia itself.
In 1767 Virginian Arthur Lee printed an address in the Virginia Gazette to the House of Burgesses calling for the abolition of slavery. The first step toward that end, he recommended, should be to put a heavy duty on the importation of slaves. While this idea was not taken up immediately, it was reintroduced in 1769 by Richard Henry Lee, and passed.
The action was then suspended by the British Crown as being hurtful to a major source of British revenue.
Who gives an F?
Funny...
But my point still remains. It was not all whipping and beating. And many DID stay afterwards.
But not as slaves.
And Fogel & Engerman showed the AVERAGE was nearly two whipping per slave per year. You ready to sign up?
Dunmore’s Proclamation of 1775 offered freedom to any slave who fought for the Royal government.
The Philipsburg Proclamation of 1779 went even farther, offering freedom to any and all slaves.
Had the Royal government defeated the rebels and traitors of 1776 then slavery in America would have ended some 80 years sooner.
https://blackloyalist.com/?page_id=631
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