Slavery Dbq

As the times were changing and war was imminent in America, slavery began to be affected by individuals and more importantly by the war in which slavery had developed into a highly addressed matter during the Revolutionary era. As the war began it became clear, to both sides, that in order to win battles the British would need to employ tactics to recruit more soldiers. The British army did this by offering slaves liberty in exchange for their service to the British army. The colonies however had multiple tactics in gaining more soldiers, such as buying some slaves’ freedom or by paying them to fight in the war. Slavery also during the Revolutionary era resulted in individuals beginning to question slavery and whether it was morally acceptable

At the start of the war the armies did not allow any free blacks and/or slaves to be enlisted in the armies. However, when Lord Dunmore issued his proclamation and all the slaves began to flood over to the British’s side, they were quick to change their opinions. The inclusion of slaves into the army was rather quick change from 1775 to 1778. At first no blacks were accepted, then only to free blacks and finally to all blacks regardless of their status. The quick change was due to Dunmore’s Proclamation and the Continental Army’s desperate need of recruits. As soon as the colonies noticed that Dunmore’s Proclamation was aiding in the British’s recruitment of slaves and the advocating done by Hamilton and Greene, the armies decided to stop the exclusivity. In which they opened up the enlistments to blacks freed and enslaved. Therefore, with the strategy that the colonies used, influenced by the British, the armies began attracting slaves since they were as well proposing liberty in conversation for their service. This strategy instigated by the American armies further shows that slavery played an important role in the Revolutionary War, and that it was being affected by the Revolution as well. This further assists slaves in which it would soon lead to some individuals questioning the practice of

The main point that petitioners argued in the past was that they were made equal since the beginning. We the petitioners are the same as any other man because we also believe in the Unalienable Right of liberty, which was bestowed upon us by a greater being. We have been taken unreasonably from our friends and family from the hands of cruelty. It has been argued that a “great being” created them equal and only by cruelty has their liberty and equality been taken away. Additionally, some slaves went an extra step to sue for their freedom and other charges they deemed necessary. A court case submitted by Quok Walker to the Massachusetts General Court in 1777, which he sued for his freedom and back wages. When the verdict was announced, the Massachusetts Chief Justice ruled that Walker’s enslavement had violated the new state’s constitution. This case quickly brought an end to slavery in Massachusetts and other New England States. As a result, of Walker’s court case the whole state of Massachusetts ended slavery, and had soon begun a trend, in the North, of freeing the slaves and giving them their much wanted freedom. With these petitions and court cases during the Revolutionary War slaves had begun to be affected again, this time in a radically positive