Part 1: Short Answer Questions

1. First Emancipation Proclamation

The First Emancipation Proclamation, more likely known as “Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation”, was issued
in April 1775. This proclamation was made by the British governor of Virginia, offering freedom to any
men enslaved by rebels who volunteered to fight for the king. About 5,000 black men enlisted in various
militias and the Continental army and navy, because of the promise of freedom. The proclamation was
seen as general British policy by white people, and drove them to join the Patriots side, and their revolt
against the British turned into a revolt against Africans. The emancipation proclamation is very
significant, because it showed how important the Black population was and would be in U.S. history.

2. Long Haitian Revolution

The Long Haitian Revolution, was a revolution led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, leading enslaved people
that led to the establishment of Haiti as an independent country as of 1804, becoming the first free Black
republic. This slave rebellion began in the 1790s after Toussaint had been enslaved on a sugar plantation,
and forged the rebellious slaves into an army. After the revolution, thousands of free African Americans
emigrated to Haiti, chasing the promise of political rights and economic opportunity that they were not
provided with in the United States. Various slave empires refused to accept Haiti as an independent
nation, and forced them to pay France billions of dollars in reparations.

3. Aboveground Railroad
The “Aboveground Railroad”, or better known as the “Underground Railroad”, despite not actually being
underground, was a system of routes and safehouses throughout the south which led slaves to freedom in
the North. This system began in Black-led organizations known as “vigilance committees” found
throughout the Upper South, Northeast, and Midwest regions. The railroads consisted of a series of
interlocking local networks which consisted of both Black and white abolitionists, that all communicated
with each other and worked to help a large number of fugitives. It’s estimated that about 30,000 slaves
managed to escape the South in the decades leading up to the Civil War, which is small compared to the
total amount of slaves in the South, which totaled to almost 4 million in 1860.

Part 2: Primary Source Essays

1. In the second half of the quarter, you read works by several enslaved or formerly
enslaved people, including Boston King (Week 6), Ona Judge (Week 7), Solomon
Northrup (Week 9), and Nat Turner (Week 10). What does their respective testimony
reveal about the changing contours and possibilities of Black slavery, freedom, and
resistance from the time of the American Revolution, when Boston King escaped slavery
by joining the British Army, to the Antebellum era, when the Virginia authorities
hanged Nat Turner for leading a slave rebellion? How do their experiences advance our
understanding of Black men and women as historical actors who play active roles in
American history?
 The testimonies of Boston King2, Ona Judge1, Solomon Northrup3, and Nat Turner4 offer very

essential insight into the history of Black slavery, freedom, and resistance in America, from the time of

the American Revolution to the Antebellum period. Their stories show how the contours and possibilities

of Black slavery, freedom, and resistance shifted over time and how enslaved and formerly enslaved

people actively shaped U.S. history.

The testimony from Ona Judge1, a former slave from the household of George Washington,

highlights the actions of Black women in resistance. Her escape as an enslaved woman was a show of

defiance not just against her individual enslavement, but also against the system of slavery as a whole and

the hypocrisy of those who, from the outside, supported liberty, yet owned slaves themselves. Judge’s

flight to freedom in the North emphasizes the geographic and legal complexities of slavery in early

America, especially the tensions between Northern states, who wished to gain emancipation for slaves,

and the Southern states, who wanted to keep slavery for their benefits. Her testimony shows that enslaved

people were not just passive victims but instead shows how they resisted their oppressors and the

institution of slavery itself, despite being aware of the risks involved.

Boston King2, an enslaved man who gained freedom by joining the British Army during the

American Revolution, gives an important example of how Black people fought against slavery to gain

their freedom. His story reflects the disruption caused by the Revolution, where the British and Americans

both offered freedom to enslaved people who would enlist in their armies. King's experience reveals the

desperate measures that enslaved people took to escape slavery, and the dangers of freedom. Even after

the war ended, and he gained his freedom, King continued to be a subject of discrimination. His testimony

shows the limits of what enslaved people were able to accomplish and the long sought after dream of

freedom for the people enslaved.

Solomon Northrup’s memoir3 offers a detailed account of the harsh realities of slavery in the

Antebellum South. Northrup was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana, despite being born a free

man in New York. His testimony provides insight into the dehumanizing effects of slavery, highlighting

the psychological and physical violence that slaves endures. Northrup’s escape and return to freedom
showed how determination and persistence played a huge role in the lives of the people who resisted

slavery. In addition to highlighting the complex relationships between the slaves and their owners,

Northrup’s memoir also highlights the various structures that kept slavery going in the South.

Nat Turner’s revolt4 in 1831, as described in his confessions, represents one of the most violent

forms of resistance to slavery. Turner believed that he was divinely chosen to lead a rebellion against

slavery, which shows the connection between Black resistance and otherworldly beliefs during this

period. His rebellion was an attempt to overthrow the slavery system all together, as well as his own

response to his individual experiences. Turner’s story highlights the harsh realities of slavery and the

extreme measures that some slaves took in their pursuit of freedom. His rebellion also caused major

backlash from Southern leaders, which led to stricter slave codes and increased repression and

discrimination of Black people. Turner’s testimony challenges the idea of Black passivity and underscores

the power of collective action in the pursuit of freedom.

These testimonies show how Black experiences of slavery and freedom changed from the time of

the American Revolution to the Antebellum era, as well as showcasing that enslaved people were active

figures throughout American history, and not just passive beings. Ona Judge’s escape reveals the legal and

geographic boundaries of slavery, as the system continued to be a vital part of Southern society. Solomon

Northrup's testimony provides a view of the brutality of slavery in the South, where slavery was vital and

highly defended. Boston King’s escape during the Revolution reflects the complexity of Black freedom

during a time when the nation was fighting for its own liberty but still enslaving millions. Nat Turner’s

rebellion, highlights the growing resistance among enslaved people as they sought freedom, and liberation

through violent resistance.The testimonies of Boston King2, Ona Judge1, Solomon Northrup3, and Nat

Turner4 provide insight into the specific experiences of enslaved and free Black people, and illuminate the

ways in which Black individuals resisted, navigated, and helped to reshape the contours of American

slavery, freedom, and resistance.

 1. Letter to the editor, The Liberator, January 1, 1847. As quoted in Slave Testimony, Two Centuries
of Letters, Speeches, Interviews, and Autobiographies, John W. Blassingame, ed. (Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University Press, 1977).
2. Boston King, “Memoirs of the Life of Boston King, A Black Preacher,” The Methodist Magazine
21 (March 1798) and 21 (April 1798).
3. Solomon Northrup, Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northrup, a Citizen of
New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853 (New York, 1859)
4. The Confessions of Nat Turner, the leader of the late insurrection, in Southampton (county)
(Baltimore, 1831).

2. Throughout the quarter, you have heard about marginalized peoples who protested and
petitioned for the right not only to be included in the American political community, but
also to have a say in what that community should look like and its obligations to its
members—from participants in the impressment and tenant uprisings of the colonial
period (Week 4 and Week 5), to the signatories of freedom petitions and women food
rioters of the revolutionary era (Week 6 and Week 7), to the women factory workers
and Black abolitionists of the Antebellum era (Week 10). Choose three or four
groups/individuals to focus on. What were their demands and visions for a more just
society? What do their successes and failures say about the power of ordinary people to
make history in early America?
The sources, New York Tenants Riots Documents1, Letters from Abigail Adams to John Adams2

and Articles from The Voice of Industry3, are valuable documents to get a better understanding of protests,

and the demands from marginalized groups in American history. These documents help portray the

struggles and injustices faced by working class individuals, women, and tenants in America.

The New York Tenants Riots Documents1, documented in 1766, describes the violent conflicts and

tensions between the tenants and landlords in colonial New York, over land ownership, power, and

justice. The tenants sought for permanent ownership of the land that they occupied, instead of being

subject to eviction, oppressive rents, and violent enforcement measures. They wished to have an equitable

society, where all people could have access to land and justice, and demanded recognition for their

purchases from Native Americans and fought to fight against favoritism shown to landlords under the law.

Their main goal was to escape the exploitation of the system that they were under and to secure their

livelihoods. The tenant organizations succeeded when it came to mass mobilization and public attention,

since they had the ability to organize large groups of people, coordinating up to hundreds or thousands,
and they drew significant amounts of attention from the public towards their grievances, by breaking open

jails and defending themselves against armed forces. They struggled when faced against the colonial

government, who were backed by military forces and had far more resources on their side, and despite

resisting with much effort, the system failed to be dismantled. These events show how the struggles of

ordinary people have the power to challenge systems of authority and influence history, even when faced

with significant gaps in power.

The Letters from Abigail Adams to John Adams2 provide both a personal and political

commentary from the early stages of the Revolutionary War, showing the frustrations people had with the

conditions of war. Abigail’s letters reveal the visions she had for a more just society and how she viewed

the power of ordinary individuals, especially women, to shape history. She wanted liberty and equality,

emphasizing how it was hypocritical for the people fighting for freedom to deny liberty to others,

critiquing the system of slavery and the disparities present in her present social structures. She also

wished for representation and legal protections for women and people in marginalized communities,

writing that unchecked male power could and would lead to tyranny and she demanded for legal

protections to prevent abuse and indignity for women around the nation. Abigail’s letters showed how she

was able to articulate her revolutionary ideas, and her moral influence, as her demands for liberty and

equality highlighted the broader aspirations of many who were excluded from power structures and the

systems in place, and she was able to influence her husband’s thinking and she planted seeds for future

generations in debates, gender equality, and democratic reform. However, she was still excluded from

politics, before and after the revolution. Abigail's letters show how even ordinary people have the power

to contribute to shaping the course of history and revolutionary ideals.

The Articles from The Voice of Industry3 reveal the demands and visions of working-class

Americans in the mid nineteenth century for a more just society and highlight the successes and failures

of ordinary people during this time period. The articles show that they wanted fair wages and reasonable

working hours, recognition of economic necessity, control over their own narrative, equity in the benefits

of industrialization, and dignity and health. The articles revealed the physical and emotional toll that
factory labor had on its workers, the exploitation present in their labor, highlighting how their long hours

and increased productivity were not fairly matched in their pay. The articles succeeded in creating a

platform for the voices of workers, raising awareness to the struggles and inhumane conditions in

factories, uniting workers, and creating a sense of solidarity among them, laying the foundation for future

labor movements. However, they failed in getting immediate change, due to systematic barriers, due to

how skewed economic and political systems were towards industrialists. The articles show that ordinary

people, despite having less wealth and power compared to the people they were fighting against, started a

very strong foundation for future labor reforms, unions, and workers’ rights movements.

The New York Tenants Riot Documents highlighted the intense conflicts between tenants and

landlords over land ownership. The Letters from Abigail Adams to John Adams show Abigail's concerns

about the political injustices against women and people in marginalized groups. The Articles from The

Voice of Industry provide a new perspective from the working class Americans, and their demands to have

more rights over their working conditions and compensation. These documents highlight the power

ordinary people have in the history of America, including their successes and failures.

1. “Journals of Capt. John Montresor, 1757‑1778,” ed. by G. D. Scull, in Collections of the New

York Historical Society for the Year 1881 (New York: Printed for the Society, 1882).

2. Letters from Abigail Adams to John Adams (1776). Massachusetts Historical Society, Collections
Online.
1. “Articles from The Voice of Industry (1845-1847)”. industrialrevolution.org