Book People Archive

little known chapter of American history -- British governor of Viriginia emancipated the slaves in 1775


Interesting, little known chapter of American history. In 1775, Lord
Dunmore, governor of Virginia, emancipated the blacks and armed them, as a
way to intimidate the colonial rebels.

According to Mercy Warren, in her history of the revolution (published in
1775):

"He had the inhumanity early to intimate his designs if opposition ran high
to declare freedom to the blacks, and, on any appearnace of hostile
resistance to the King's authority to arm them against their masters.
Neither the House of Burgesses nor the people at large were disposed to
recede from their determinations in consequence of this threats nor to
submit to any authority that demanded
implict obedience on pain of devastation and ruin. Irritated by opposition
too rash for consideration, too haughty for condescension, and fond of
distinguishing
himself in support of the parliamentary system, Lord Dunmore dismantled the
fort in Williamsburg, plundered the magazines, threatened to lay the city in
ashes        
and depopulate the country: As far as he was able, he executed his nefarious
purposes.

"When his lordship found the resolution of the House of Burgesses, the
committees and conventions was no where to be shaken, he immediately
proclaimed the emancipation of the blacks and put arms into their hands. He
excited disturbances in the back settlements and encouraged the natives
bordering on
the southern colonies to rush form the wilderness and make inroads on the
frontiers."

This appears in chapter 6 of Mercy Warren's history, which I just posted at
http://www.samizdat.com/warren/rev6.html
For links to the first five chapters and her plays see
http://www.samizdat.com/warren

Because the old type (with "f's" for "s"s) messes up scanners, I'm typing
the whole thing in by hand,
and updating the spelling and punctuation for readability.

Feedback welcome.
             
Best wishes.

RichardRichard Seltzer, seltzer@[redacted] www.samizdat.com
Internet marketing consultant www.samizdat.com/consult.html
For hundreds of books at pennies a piece on CD ROM, see
http://www.samizdat.com/readme.html
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