First of all, according to the Merriam Webster’s college dictionary, a petition is an earnest request; a formal written request made to an official person or organized body (as a court.) I read the four petitions against slavery, but I found that the most effective and interesting was the second petition titled, “Peter Bestes and Other Slaves Petition for Freedom (April 20, 1773,)” I think that it is the most effective because there is a part where the author explains that the slaves “expect great things from men who have made such a noble stand against the designs of the fellow-men to enslave them.” Slaves wanted to be heard by the governor because they wanted to be free. I found this petition interesting because they say that “the divine spirit of freedom seems to fire every humane breast on this continent, except such as are bribed to assist in executing the execrable plan.” I think that slaves are right because people have rights to be free. I also say that an important point that they mention is; “even the Spaniards, who have not those sublime ideas of freedom that English men have are conscious that they have no right to all the service of their fellow-men, we mean the Africans, whom they have purchased with their money; therefore, they allow them one day in a week to work for themselves,” meaning that English men do not have the right to obligate slaves to do everything that English men need and slaves have to work by themselves.
Bibliography
Zinn, Howard. Voices of a People’s History of the United States. Seven Stories Press, 2004.
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