During the Revolution, numerous slaves throughout New England were openly and articulately seeking their freedom as a direct consequence of the colonists' own attempts for liberty from British rule. Many submitted petitions to courts and to the legislative bodies asking for their personal freedom and an end to slavery. One of the most eloquent of these petitions was submitted by Prime and Prince with the assistance of their owner, Samuel Sturges, of the town of Fairfield. While the outcome of their petition is not known, their convictions were clear: "We have endeavored rightly to understand what is our Right, and what is our Duty, and can never be convinced that we were made to be Slaves." Click on each image to see the full page.

Image: Prime and Prince, Petition to the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, 1779. Courtesy Connecticut State Library, State Archives, Hartford, Connecticut.