To the Honorable the senit [senate] and House of
Riprisentetives [Representatives]
of the
comon Welth [Commonwealth] of Massachusetts bay
in general court assembled
Februry 27 1788: The Petition of
greet [great] Number of Blacks freemen
of this common welth [Commonwealth] Humbly sheweth that your
Petetioners [Petitioners] are
justly Allarm'd at the
enhuman [inhuman] and cruel Treetment [Treatment] that Three of
our Brethren free citizens of the
Town of Boston Lately Receved [Received] ;
The captain under a Pertence [Pretense] that his vessel was in
destres [distress] on
a Island belo [below] in this Hearber [Harbor] ,
haven [haven't] got them on bord [board] put
them in Iorns [Irons]
and covred [covered] them of, From their Wives & children
to be sold for slaves;
This being the unhappey [unhappy] state of these poor men What
can your Peteti=
=oners Expect but to be treeted in the same manner by the same sort
of men; What then are our Lives and Lebeties [Liberties] worth
if thay may be taken
away in shuch [such] a cruel & unjust manner as
this; May it Pleas [Please] your Honnors [Honors] we
are not encensebel [insensible] that the good Laws of this
State forbedes [forbids] all such
Base axones [actions] : Notwithstanding we can
aseuer [assure] your Honners [Honors] that
maney [many] of
our free blacks that have Entred [Entered] onboard of
vessles [vessels] as seamen and have
ben sold for slaves a sum [some] of them we have heard from but
no [know] not
Who carred [carried] them away; Hence is it that
maney [many] of us who are good seamen
are oblidge [obliged] to stay at home thru fear and the one help of our time
lorter [loiter]
about the streets for want of Imploy [Employ] .
Wereas [Whereas] if thay were Protected
in that Lallfull [Lawful] calling thay might git [get] a hanceum [handsome]
Livelihud [livelihood] for them
=selves and theres [theirs] : Which in the
Setturation [Situation] thay are now in thay Cannot.
One thing more we would bege [beg] Leve [Leave]
to Hent [Hunt] -- that is that your Petetioners [Petitioners]
have for Sumtime [Some time] past Beheald [Beheld] Whith [With] Greaf [Grief] Ships cleared out from
this Herber [Harbor] for
Africa and there thay [they] other [either] steal or case [cause] others to
steal our Brothers & Sisteres [Sisters] fill
there [their] Ships holes [holds] full of
unhappey [unhappy]
Men & Women crouded [crowded] together, then set out to
find the Best market.
Seal [Sell] them there Like Sheep for the Slarter [Slaughter] and then Returne [Return]
hear [here]
like Honest men; after haven [having] sported with the Lives
and Lebeties [Liberties]
Fello [Fellow] men and at the same time call themselves
Christions [Christians] ; Black
O Hevens [Heavens] at thi [s?] These our
Wotley [motley?] Greevences [Grievances] we
cherfully [cheerfully]
Submeet [Submit] to your Honores [Honors]
Without Decttateing [Dictating] in the lest [least] -- knowing
by Experence [Experience] that your Honers [Honors] have and we Trust ever Will
in your Wisdom do us that Justes [Justice] that our Present
Condechon [Condition]
Requires, as God and the Good Laws of this Common
Welth [Commonwealth] Shall
Decteat [Dictate] you -- as in Deutey [Duty]
Bound your Petetioners [Petitioners] Shall Ever
Pray
Sd,
Prince Hall
[Endorsement]