Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Commentary on kidnapping of free black men in the US for sale into southern slavery, with anecdote of English sailor witnessing chained negroes driven through Washington city.
Clipping
OCR Quality
Full Text
Would you believe it, that in the United States, a man, as free, and in every legal respect equal to James Madison—a man, who has a wife and children—a home—all that can attach him to life—that such an one, merely because his skin is black, shall be dragged from that wife, those children, and that home—gagged, bound and beaten, and conveyed to Georgia, or some other of the southern States, to endure perpetual servitude!
Whether you will believe it or not, fellow citizens, it is true, that hundreds of such cases have recently occurred!
An English sailor, who one day, about noon, was loitering near the publick buildings in Washington city, saw between twenty and thirty negroes chained together, and driven along by two white men on horseback; one of whom having an unusually large whip, the tar, rationally enough, took him for the commander of the squad, and approaching, thus sarcastically addressed him:—“May it please your honour, Captain, send up your signal of 'FREE Trade And no IMpressMent.'"
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Washington City
Event Date
Recently
Outcome
dragged from wife, children, and home, gagged, bound, beaten, and conveyed to georgia or other southern states to endure perpetual servitude
Event Details
In the United States, free black men, equal in legal respects to James Madison, with wives, children, and homes, are kidnapped because of their skin color and sold into perpetual servitude in southern states like Georgia. Hundreds of such cases have recently occurred. An English sailor in Washington city saw twenty to thirty negroes chained together and driven by two white men on horseback, one with a large whip. The sailor sarcastically addressed the whip-holder as 'Captain' and suggested signaling 'FREE Trade And no IMpressMent.'