Did Theodore Sedgwick own slaves?

Theodore Sedgwick owned slaves (at least one), and it is documented with a bill of sale (below) dated July 1, 1777 (Sedgwick was 30 years old at the time) showing General John Fellows sold a slave woman named Ton to Theodore Sedgwick, according to the Massachusetts Historical Society.

What did Theodore Sedgwick do?

Theodore Sedgwick (May 9, 1746 – January 24, 1813) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served in elected state government and as a delegate to the Continental Congress, a US representative, and a senator from Massachusetts. He served as the fourth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

How did Mumbet get her freedom?

Family lore suggests that after 40 years of bondage in the Ashley household, Mumbet was prompted to seek her freedom when Annetje attempted to strike Mumbet’s younger sister with a shovel. Whatever the reason, Mumbet turned in 1781 to Theodore Sedgwick, a prominent Stockbridge attorney, to help secure her freedom.

Was there slavery in Massachusetts?

In 1780, when the Massachusetts Constitution went into effect, slavery was legal in the Commonwealth. However, during the years 1781 to 1783, in three related cases known today as “the Quock Walker case,” the Supreme Judicial Court applied the principle of judicial review to abolish slavery.

What was the first state in the United States to abolish slavery?

In 1780, Pennsylvania became the first state to abolish slavery when it adopted a statute that provided for the freedom of every slave born after its enactment (once that individual reached the age of majority). Massachusetts was the first to abolish slavery outright, doing so by judicial decree in 1783.

When did New York state outlaw slavery?

Slavery officially ended in New York 1827. When the Gradual Emancipation law was passed in 1799 it did not apply to persons enslaved at the time, but gradually emancipated children of enslaved mothers born after the enactment of the law.

Who is Miss Sedgwick?

Catharine Maria Sedgwick (December 28, 1789 – July 31, 1867), was an American novelist of what is sometimes referred to as “domestic fiction”. She promoted Republican motherhood. Sedgwick was engaged at one point to Harmanus Bleecker, a friend of her father and law partner of her brother Theodore (1780-1839).

How did Mum Bett sue for her freedom?

Mum Bett intervened and received the blow instead. Furious, she left the house and refused to return. When Colonel Ashley appealed to the law for her return, she called on Theodore Sedgewick, a lawyer from Stockbridge who had anti-slavery sentiments, and asked for his help to sue for her freedom.

Why did Mum Bett keep her sleeve rolled up?

In the Ashley household, Mum Bett worked in silence, watching over her sister, Lizzie, and her daughter, Young Bett, who was also enslaved by the Ashleys. From that day on, Mum Bett rolled her sleeve up to display the ugly scar.