7 November 1775; published November 14
Dunmore offers conditional freedom to people enslaved by rebels
Virginia; proclamation signed aboard the William off Norfolk
Royal governor Lord Dunmore declared martial law and offered freedom to indentured servants and enslaved people belonging to rebels who were able and willing to bear arms and join British forces. The proclamation created an avenue for escape and military service within Britain’s effort to suppress the rebellion.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
The promise was conditional on service and targeted people held by rebels. It did not abolish slavery in Virginia, cover everyone enslaved by Loyalists, or guarantee freedom to every person who reached British lines. The signed date and publication date differ.
Sources
- Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, chapter 5, p. 82; supplied print pages, edition/year unidentified
- Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, November 7, 1775, freedom and military-service clause; Encyclopedia Virginia transcription ↗
- Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation; drafting and publication dates ↗