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AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture Module 4: Primary Resource Document

Freedom Petition of Prince Hall

Source Overview: This freedom petition from 1777 was presented to the Massachusetts General

Court by Prince Hall, a free black man who lived in Boston, along with nine other black

petitioners. Hall is also known for founding the first black freemasonry lodge in American

history during the revolutionary era.(1)

To the Honorable Counsel & House of Representatives for the State of Massachusetts Bay in

General Court assembled, January 13, 1777.

The petition of A Great Number of Blackes detained in a State of slavery in the bowels

of a free & Christian Country Humbly showeth that your Petitioners apprehend that they have in

Common with all other men a Natural and [Unalienable] Right to that freedom which the Grat

Parent of the Universe that Bestowed equally on all menkind and which they have Never

forfeited by any Compact or agreement whatever — but that wher Unjustly Dragged by the hand

of cruel Power and their Derest friends and sum of them Even torn from the Embraces of their

tender Parents — from A populous Pleasant and Plentiful country and in violation of Laws of

Nature and of Nations and in Defiance of all the tender feelings of humanity Brough here Either

to Be sold like Beast of burthen & Like them Condemned to Slavery for Life — Among A

People Professing the mild Religion of Jesus A people Not Insensible of the Secrets of Rational

Being Nor without spirit to Resent the unjust endeavors of others to Reduce them to a state of

Bondage and Subjugation your hononuer Need not to be informed that A Live of Slavery Like

that of your petitioners Deprived of Every social privilege of Every thing Requisite and render

Life Tolable is far worse that Nonexistance.

[In imitat]ion of the Lawdable Example of the Good People of these States your

petitioners have Long and Patiently waited the Event of petition after petition. By them presented

to the Legislative Body of this state and cannot but with Grief Reflect that their Success hath

been but too similar they Cannot but express their Astonishment that It have Never Bin

Considered that Every Principle from which America has Acted in the Course of their unhappy

Difficulties with Great Briton Pleads Stronger than A thousand arguments in favors of your

petitioners they therfor humble Beseech your honours to give this petition its due weight and

consideration & cause an act of the legislature to be past Wherby they may be Restored to the

Enjoyments of that which is the Natural right of all men — and their Children who wher Born in

this Land of Liberty may not be held as Slaves after they arrive at the age of twenty one years so

may the Inhabitance of this States No longer chargeable with the inconstancy of acting

themselves that part which they condemn and oppose in others Be prospered in their present

Glorious struggle for Liberty and have those Blessings to them, &c. (16)

AMH2092 OER: African American History and Culture Module 4: Primary Resource Document

Attributions

(1) Content by Florida State College at Jacksonville is licensed under CC BY 4.0

(16) Petition for freedom to the Massachusetts Council and the House of Representatives,

January 1777 by Massachusetts Historical Society is in the Public Domain.