the moment
Enslaved People Demanded Their Own Freedom
It’s essential to understand—and to teach young people—that enslaved Africans fought for their own liberation, including the first recorded rebellion on Sept. 1, 1663; the Stono Rebellion on Sept. 9, 1739; and David Walker’s September 1829 Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World. For resources on enslaved people’s work toward freedom, check out these texts and this summary objective from our Teaching Hard History framework.
- Summary Objective 10
- Petition of 1788 for the Abolition of Slavery in Connecticut, by Enslaved People of New Haven
- Mum Bett’s Freedom Tale
