奴隸向麻塞諸塞 皇家總督的申訴
The Slaves' Appeal to the Royal Governor of Massachusetts

我們是生而自由的而且從未簽訂任何契約或協議放棄上帝的這項恩賜。

1619年，一艘荷蘭船將二十個非洲人帶到維吉尼亞的詹姆斯敦。這些人究竟是奴隸還是契約僕人，沒人知道。十七世紀後期，隨著南方種植園的發展，非洲人的輸入也增加了，同時殖民地的法律也確定他們終身為奴。在三百五十年的奴隸貿易中，約九百萬到一千二百萬非洲人在極其殘惡的條件下被帶到美洲各國，其中約四十萬被帶到北美。

有些殖民者反對奴隸制，尤其是教友派和孟諾派，以及像班哲明‧佛蘭克林、亞歷山大‧漢密爾頓和約翰‧傑伊這樣的領袖人物。以人類天生權利為基礎的革命號召激勵這些奴隸提出他們也有獲得自由的權利的主張。1774年5月25日，麻塞諸塞的一群奴隸向皇家殖民總督托馬斯‧蓋奇提出了以下申訴。

在革命開始時，美國軍隊將黑人排除在外。但是，當英國人號召奴隸參加到他們那邊時，美國革命軍就將其政策顛倒過來。大約有五千非洲裔美國人參加美國軍隊作戰，其中有奴隸也有自由人。許多人由於在戰爭期間服役而獲得自由，還有其他數以千計的奴隸在戰爭期間從奴隸制枷鎖下逃跑。不過，大部分非洲人仍然還是奴隸，這是對這個新國家理想的玷污。

在這個自由和基督的國家裏，由於神的許可，處於被奴役狀態的許多本省黑人向您提出申訴。

我們謹向您表明

您的申訴者明白，如果我們的同胞沒有剝奪我們的自由的話，我們也和其他人一樣都有獲得這些自由的天賦權利，因為我們是生而自由的而且從未簽訂任何契約或協定放棄上帝的這項恩賜。但是，我們是被殘酷的強權之手把我們從我們最親愛的朋友身邊拖走的，有些人是從慈愛的父母的懷裏被偷走的，是從一個人口眾多、美麗富饒的國土上被拉走的，我們被帶到這裏，被迫在一個基督教國土裏終身為奴。這樣我們就被剝奪了一切哪怕使生活僅可忍受的東西，夫妻之間的甜蜜關係與我們無緣，因為我們不再是像我們的男主人或女主人認為的那樣經正當結合或未曾結婚的夫妻。我們的孩子也被強行從我們身邊奪走，被送到離我們許多英里以外的地方，強迫他們終身為奴，在那種地方我們很難得或者永遠無法再見到他們。由於他們是從母親懷裏被強行拖走的，他們的生命有時是非常短暫的。由於這些原因，我們的生活非常痛苦。我們這種可憐的狀況使我們無法向萬能的上帝表示我們的服從。一個奴隸如何向妻子履行丈夫的職責，或者向孩子履行父母的職責。一個丈夫怎麼能離開主人去為妻子幹活並向妻子表示忠心。妻子又怎麼能事事順從自己的丈夫。孩子怎麼能事事服從自己的父母。我們中有許多人是虔誠的基督徒。主人和奴隸怎麼能說是履行了那條友愛相處，有難同當，讓兄弟般的友情繼續加深的訓戒。當主人給我套上沈重的奴隸鎖鏈並壓迫我的意志時，怎麼可說他是在分擔我的苦難。在這種情況下，我們怎麼能盡到我們對上帝的職責，因為處於這種情況，我們就不能像我們應該做的那樣去侍奉上帝。這個國家的法律並不認為奴隸制是正當的而且譴責奴隸制，可我們卻不能從這些法律中得到同等的利益。如果真的有過什麼法律可以使我們成為奴隸，那麼我們謹以為過去從來就沒有過什麼法律規定我們的孩子在一個自由的國家裏一出生就成為終生奴隸。所以我們懇請大人閣下，對於我們的申訴予以重視和考慮。您可據此使一頂法案通過，以使我們獲得天賦的自由權利，我們的孩子也可在二十一歲時獲得自由。特別是為了我們的孩子，您的申訴者有義務向您提出申訴。

The Slaves' Appeal to the Royal Governor of Massachusetts

The Petition of a Grate Number of Blacks of this Province who by divine permission are held in a state of Slavery within the bowels of a free and Christian Country

Humbly Shewing

That your Petitioners apprehind we have in common with all other men a naturel right to our freedoms without Being depriv'd of them by our fellow men as we are a freeborn Pepel and have never forfeited this Blessing by aney compact or agreement whatever. But we were unjustly dragged by the cruel hand of power from our dearest frinds and sum of us stolen from the bosoms of our tender Parents and from a Populous Pleasant and plentiful country and Brought hither to be made slaves for Life in a Christian land. Thus we are deprived of every thing that hath a tendency to make life even tolerable, the endearing ties of husband and wife we are strangers to for we are no longer man and wife than our masters or mistresses thinkes proper marred or onmarred. Our children are also taken from us by force and sent maney miles from us wear we seldom or ever see them again there to be made slaves of for Life which sumtimes; is vere short by Reson of Being dragged from their mothers Breest Thus our Lives are imbittered to us on these accounts By our deplorable situation we are rendered incapable of shewing our obedience to Almighty God how can a slave perform the duties of a husband to a wife or parent to his child How can a husband leave master to work and cleave to his wife How can the wife submit themselves to there husbands in all things How can the child obey thear parents in all things. There is a great number of us sencear ... members of the Church of Christ how can the master and the slave be said to fulfil that command Live in love let Brotherly Love contuner and abound Beare yea onenothers Bordenes How can the master be said to Beare my Borden when he Beares me down whith the Have chanes of slavery and operson against my will and how can we fulfill our parte of duty to him whilst in this condition and as we cannot searve our God as we ought whilst in this situation. Nither can we reap an equal benefet from the laws of the Land which doth not justifi but condemns Slavery or if there had bin aney Law to hold us in Bondage we are Humbely of tile opinion ther never was aney to inslave our children for life when Born in a free Countrey. We therfor Bage your Excellency and Honours will give this its deer weight and consideration and that you will accordingly cause an act of the legislative to be pessed that we may obtain our Natural right our freedoms and our children be set at lebety at the yeare of twenty one for whoues sekes more petequeley your Petitioners is in Duty ever to pray.