assignment

Part 1: Colonial America (1582-1750)

V i e w p o i n t 9 A
Slavery Is Immoral (1700)

Samuel Sewall ( 1 652-1 730)

I N T R O D U CT I O N The economies of many of the American
colonies rested on a foundation of raising and selling cash
crops, especially tobacco in Virginia and Maryland and
rice in South Carolina. However, successful cultivation
of these crops required intensive labor-something in
short supply in the thinly populated colonies. Pressing
captured Indiam to work proved umuccessful in part
because many Indiam quickly succumbed to diseases
brought over from Europe. Indentured servitude (see
viewpoints BA and BB) formed in its wake an impov­
erished white underclass of fo1mer servants-a develop­
ment that often caused political imtability and violence.

A lasting solution to the colonies ‘ labor shortage was
finally found by importing black Africans as slaves.
Since the early 1500s, Africans had been captured
and transported to Spanish, Portuguese, and (later)
British colonies in South A merica and the Carribean.
Although blacks were present in Virginia as early as
1 619, it was not until the 1 6BOs that they began to
replace the white indentured servants as the main
source of labor in Virginia, South Carolina, and other
colonies. Unlike indentured servants, black slaves were
bound for life and lacked all legal and political rights.
Their different skin color made escape much more
difficult. By 1 700 slavery was legal in all English

colonies in A merica and Africans (mostly slaves)
accounted for 15 percent of the population in southern
colonies. Although legal in New England, slavery was
not as widespread as in colonies farther south.

Although slavery did establish itself as a lasting solution
to the colonies ‘ labor shortage problem, its morality did
not go unquestioned in colonial times. The following
viewpoint is taken from one of the earliest antislavery
pamphlets published in America. The author, Samuel
Sewall, was a Massachusetts Superior Court judge who
became involved in a legal dispute involving a black
slave owned by another judge. Sewall wanted the judge
to honor a contract calling for the slave ‘s release. In
defense of his position, Sewall wrote and circulated a
pamphlet attacking slavery, The Selling of Joseph,
that was published in Boston in 1 700.

What objections does Sewall have to slavery? Why
might he use Biblical citatiom to support his views?
Does Sewall exhibit racial prejudice in this viewpoint?
Explain your answer.

Forasmuch as Liberry is in real value next unto Life:
None ought to part with it themselves, or deprive others of
it, but upon most mature consideration.

The Numerousness of Slaves at this Day in the P rov­
ince, and the Uneasiness of them under thei r Slavery,
hath put many upon thinking whether the Foundation
o f i t be fi rmly and well laid; so as to sustain the Vast
Weight that is built upon it. It is most certain that all
Men, as they are the S o ns of Adam, are Co-heirs, and
have equal Right unto Liberty, and all other o utward
Com forts of Life. God hath given the Earth [with all its
commodities} unto the Sons of Adam, Psal. , 1 1 5, 1 6 . And
hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men, for to dwell
on all the face of the Earth, and hath determined the
Times before appointed, and the bounds of their Habitation:
That they should seek the Lord. Forasmuch then as we are
the Ojfipring of God. &c. Acts 1 7, 26, 27, 29 . . . . S o
that Originally, and Naturally, there i s no such thing as
Slavery. Joseph was rightfully no more a Slave to his
Brethren, than they were to him; and they had no more
Authority to Sell him, than they had to Slay him . . . .

And all things considered, it would conduce more to
the Welfare of the Province, to have White Servants for
a Term of Years, than to have Sl aves for Life. Few can
endure to hear of a Negro’s being made free; and i ndeed
they can seldom use their Freedom well; yet their con­
tinual asp i ring after their forbidden Liberty, renders
them Unwilling Servants. And there is such a disparity
i n their Conditions, Colo ur, and H a i r, that they can
never embody with us, & grow up in orderly Families,
to the Peopling of the Land; but still remain in our

From The Selling of Joseph: A Memorial by Samuel Sewall , Boston, 1 700
(Massachusccrs Hisrorical Society, Proceedings, vol. 7, 1 864).

O P P O S I N G V I E W P O I N T S I N A M E R I C A N H I S T O RY

Body Politick as a kind of extravasat Blood. Moreover it is
too well known what Temptations Masters are under, to
connive at the Fornication of their Slaves; lest they should
be obliged to fi nd them Wives, or pay thei r Fines. It
seems to be practically pleaded that they might be lawless;
’tis thought much of, that the should have satisfac­
tion for their Thefts, and other Immoralities; by which
means, Holiness to the Lord is m o re rarely engraven
upon this sort of Servitude. It is likewise most lamentable
to think, how in taking Negroes out of Africa, and selling
of them here, That which God has j o i ned together,
Men do boldly rend asunder; Men from their Country,
Husbands from their Wives, Parents from their Children.
How horrible is the Uncleanness, Mo rtality, if not
M u rder, that the S hips are guilty of that bring great
Crouds of these miserable Men and Women. Men thinks
when we are bemoaning the barbarous Usage of our
Friends and Kinsfolk in Africa, it might not be unreason­
able to enquire whether we are not culpable in forcing the
Africans to become Slaves amongst ourselves. And it may
be a question whether all the Benefit received by Negro
Slaves will balance the Accompt of Cash laid out upon
the m ; and for the Redemption o f our own enslaved
Friends out of Africa. Besides all the Persons and Estates
that have perished there.

OBJECTIONS AND ANSWERS

Obj. 1 . These Blackamores are of the Posterity of Cham, and
therefore are under the Curse of Slavery. Gen. 9, 25, 26, 27.

Ans. O f all O ffices, one would not beg this; viz.
Uncal l’d for, to be an Executioner o f the Vindictive
Wrath of God; the extent and duration of which is to
us uncertain . If this ever was a Commission; How do
we know but that it is long si nce out of Date? Many
have found it to their Cost, that a Prophetical Denunci­
ation of Judgment against a Person or People, would not
warrant them to inflict that evil. I f it would, Hazael might
j ustify himself in all he did against his master, and the
Israelites from 2 Kings 8, 1 0, 1 2 .

B ut it i s possible that b y cursory reading, this Text
may have been m istaken. For Canaan is the Person
Cursed three times over, without the mentioning of
Cham. Good Expositors suppose the C u rse entailed
o n him, and that this Prophesie was accomplished i n
the Extirpation of the Canaanites, and i n the Servitude
of the Gibeonites . . . . Whereas the Blackamores are not
descended of Canaan, but of Cush. Psal. 68, 3 1 . Princes
shall come out of Egypt [Mizraim] . Ethiopia [Cush] shall
soon stretch out her hands unto God. Under which
Names, all Africa may be comprehended; and their Prom­
ised Conversion ought to be p rayed for. fer. 1 3 , 23. Can
the Ethiopian change his Skin? This shows that Black Men
are the Posterity of Cush. Who time out of mind have
been distinguished by their Colour. . . .

Labo1· in Colonial America

Obj. 2. The Nigers are brought out of a Pagan Coun­
try, into places where the Gospel is preached.

Ans. Evil must not be done, that good may come of
it. The extraordinary and comprehensive Benefit accruing
to the Church of God, and to Joseph personally, did not
rectify his Brethren’s Sale of him.

Obj. 3. The Africans have Wars one with another: Our
Ships bring lawful Captives taken in those wars.

A ns. For aught is known, their Wars are much such
as were between Jacob ‘s Sons and their B rother Joseph.
If they be between Town a n d Town; P rovincial o r
National: Every W a r is upon one s i d e Unj ust. A n Un­
lawful War can’t make lawful Captives. And by receiv­
ing, we are in danger to p romote, and partake in their
B a rbarous C ruelti es . I a m sure, if some G en tlemen
should go down to the [town o f] Brewsters to take the
Air, and Fish: And a stro nger Party fro m Hull should
surprise them, and sell them fo r S l aves to a Ship o ut­
ward b o u n d ; they would think themselves unj ustly
dealt with ; both by Sellers and B uyers. And yet ‘ tis to
be feared, we have no o ther Kind of Title to o u r Nigers.
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should
do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the and
the Prophets. Matt. 7, 1 2 .

Obj. 4 . Abraham had Servants bought with his Money
and born in his House.

Ans. Until the Circumstances of Abraham s purchase
be recorded, no Argument can be drawn from it. In the
mean time, Charity obliges us to conclude, that H e
knew it was lawful a n d good.

It is Observable that the Israelites were strictly for­
b idden the buying or selling one another fo r Slaves.
Levit. 2 5 . 3 9 . 46. fer. 34. 8-2 2 . And God gages H i s
B l essing i n l i e u o f a n y l o s s they m ight conceit they
suffered thereby, Deut. 1 5 . 1 8 . And since the partition
Wall is broken down, inordinate Self-love should like­
wise be demolished. God expects that Christians should
be o f a m o re I ngenuo us and be nign frame of S p i r i t .
Christians should carry it to all the World, a s the Israel­
ites were to carry i t o n e towards another. And for
Men obstinately to persist in holding their Neighbours
and B rethren under the Rigor o f perpetual Bo ndage,
seems to b e no p roper way of ga ining Assurance that
God has given them S p i ri tual F reed o m . Our B l essed
Savio u r has altered the Measures o f the ancient Love
S o ng, and set it to a most Excellent New Tune, which
all o u g h t to be ambiti o us of Learning. Matt. 5. 4 3 .
4 4 . John 1 3. 34. These Ethiopians, a s black a s they are,
seeing they are the Sons and D a ughters of the F i rst
Adam, the Brethren and S isters of the Last Adam, and
the Offspring of God; They ought to be treated with a
Respect agreeable.

V O L . 1 : F R O M C O L O N I A L T I M E S T O R E C O N S T R U C T I O N 40 4 1

Part I: Colonial America (1582-1750)

V i e w p o i n t 9 B
Slavery Is Moral (1 701)

John Saffin ( 1 632- 1 7 1 0)

I N T R O D U C T I O N john Saffin was a wealthy landowner
and Massachusetts judge. In 1 700 he became embroiled
in a legal dispute when he refased to give a black slave
in his possession his freedom. He viewed Samuel Sew­
all’s tract The Selling of Joseph, a Memorial (see
viewpoint 9A) as a personal affront, and in 1 701
published a reply defending the institution of slavery
(and his own actiom as a slaveowner). The tract,
reprinted here, is notable in that many of its arguments
appear repeatedly in later proslavery literature.

How does Saffin respond to Samuel Sewall’s “Objec­
tiom” to slavery? What beliefi does Saffin express about
equality? What beliefi does he express about blacks?

That H o nourable and Learned Gentleman, the
Author of a S heet, Entituled, The Selling of Joseph, A
Memorial, seems from thence to draw this conclusion,
that because the S o ns o f Jacob did very ill in selling
their Brother Joseph to the Ishmaelites, who were
Heathens, therefore it is utterly unlawful to B uy and
Sell Negroes, though among Christians; which Conclu­
sion I p resume is not well drawn from the Premises,
nor is the case parallel; for it was unlawfull for the Israel­
ites to sell their Brethren upon any acco unt, o r p retence
whatsoever during life . But it was not unlawful for the
Seed of Abraham to have Bond men, and Bond women
e i ther born in their H o use, o r bought with the ir
M o ney, as i t is written of Abraham, Gen. 1 4 . 1 4 &
2 1 . 1 0 & Exod. 2 1 . 1 6 & Levit. 25 .44, 4 5 , 46 v. After
the giving of the : And in josh. 9.23.

DIFFERENT ORDERS OF MEN

To speak a little to the Gentleman’s first Assertion: That
none ought to part with their Liberty themselves, or deprive
others of it but upon mature consideration; a prudent excep­
tion, in which he grants, that upon some consideration a
man may be deprived of his Liberty. And then presently
in his next Position or Assertion he denies it, viz. : It is
most certain, that all men as they are the Sons of Adam
are Coheirs, and have equal right to Liberty, and all other
Comforts of Life, which he wo uld p rove o u t of Psal.
1 1 5 . 1 6. The Earth hath he given to the Children of Men.
True, but what is all this to the purpose, to prove that
all men have equal right to Liberty, and all outward com­
forts of this life; which Position seems to invert the Order
that God hath set in the World, who hath Ordained dif­
ferent degrees and o rders of men, some to be High and
Honourable, some to be Low and Despicable; some to

From A Brief and Candid Answer to a Late Printed Sheet Entituled “”The Selling of
)oseph ” by John Saffin (Boston, 1 70 1 ), as reprinted i n Notes on the History of Slavery
in Massachusetts by George H . Moore (New York: D. Appleton, 1 866).

be Monarchs, Kings, P rinces a n d Governours, Masters
and Commanders, others to be Subjects, and to be Com­
manded; Servants of sundry sorts and degrees, bound to
obey; yea, some to be born Slaves, and so to remain dur­
i ng their lives, as hath been proved. Otherwise there
would be a meer parity among men, contrary to that of
the Apostle; I Cor. 12 from the 13 to the 26 verse, where
he sets forth (by way of comparison) the different sorts
and o ffices of the Members of the Body, indigitating
that they are all of use, but not equal, and of like dignity.
So God hath set different Orders and Degrees of Men in
the World, both in Church and Common weal. Now, if
this Position of parity should be true, it would then fol­
low that the ordi nary Course of D ivine Providence of
God in the World should be wrong, and unjust, (which
we must not dare to think, much less to affirm) and
all the sacred Rules, P recepts and Commands of the
Almighty which he hath given the Son of Men to observe
and keep in their respective Places, Orders and Degrees,
would be to no purpose; which unaccountably derogate
from the Divine Wisdom of the most High, who hath
made nothing in vain, but hath Holy Ends in all his Dis­
pensations to the Children of men.

I n the next place, this worthy Gentleman makes a
large Discourse concerning the Utility and Conveniency
to keep the one, and inconveniency of the other; respect­
ing white and black Servants, which conduceth most to
the welfare and benefit of this Province: which he con­
cludes to be white men, who are in many respects to be
p referred before Blacks; who doubts that? doth it there­
fore follow, that it is altogether unlawful for Christians
to buy and keep Negro Servants (for this is the Thesis)
but that those that have them ought in Conscience to
set them free, and so lose all the money they cost (for
we must not live in any known sin) this seems to be his
opinion; but it is a Question whether it ever was the Gen­
tleman’s practice? But if he could perswade the General
Assembly to make an Act, That all that have Negroes,
and do set them free, shall be Re i m bursed out of
the Publick Treasury, and that there shall be no more Ne­
groes brought into the Country; ’tis probable there would
be more of his opinion; yet he would find it a hard task
to bring the Country to consent thereto; for then the
Negroes m ust be all sent o u t of the Country, or else
the remedy would be worse than the Disease; and it is
to be feared that those Negroes that are free, i f there be
not some strict course taken with them by Author i ty,
they will be a plague to this Country . . . .

Our Author doth further p roceed to answer some
Objections of his own flaming, which he supposes some
might raise.

Object. 1 . That these B/,ackamores are of the Posterity of
Cham, and therefore under the Curse of S/,avery. Gen. 9 .25,
26, 27. That which the Gentleman seems to deny, saying,
they were the Seed of Canaan that were Cursed, etc.

O P P O S I N G V I E W P O I N T S I N A M E R I C A N H I S T O R Y

Ans. Whether they were so or not, we shall not dis­
p u te: this may suffice, that not only the seed of Cham
o r Canaan, but any lawful Captives of o ther H eathen
Nations may be made Bond men as hath been p roved.

O bj . 2. That the Negroes are brought out of Pagan
Countreys into places where the Gospel is Preached. To
which he Replies, that we must not doe Evil that Good
may come of it.

Ans. To which we answer, That it is no Evil thing to
bring them out of their own Heathenish Country, where
they may have the Knowledge of the True God, be Con­
verted and Eternally saved.

AFRICAN WARS

Obj . 3 . The Affricans have Wars one with another, our
Ships bring lawful Captives taken in those Wars.

To which o u r Author answer Conj ecturally, and
Doubtfully, for aught we know, that which may o r may
not be; which is insignificant, and proves nothing.
H e also compares the Negroes Wars, one Nation with
another, with the Wars between Joseph and his Brethren.
But where doth he read of any such War? We read indeed
of a Domestick Quarrel they had with him, they envyed
and hated Joseph; but by what is Recorded, he was meerly
passive and meek as a Lam b . This Gentleman farther
adds, That there is not any War but is unjust on one side.
etc. Be it so, what doth that signify: We read of lawful
Captives taken in the Wars, and lawful to be B o ught
and Sold without contracting the guilt of the Agressors;
fo r which we have the example o f Abraham before
quoted; but if we must stay while both parties Warring
are in the right, there would be n o lawful Captives
at all to be Bought; which seems to be rediculous to imag­
ine, and contrary to the tenour o f Scripture, and all
Humane Histories on that subject.

Obj. 4. Abraham had Servants bought with his Money,
and born in his House. Gen. 1 4. 1 4. To which our worthy
Author answers, until the Circumstances of Abraham s pur­
chase be recorded, no Argument can be drawn from it.

Ans. To which we Reply, this is also Dogmatical, and
proves nothing. H e farther adds. In the mean time Charity
Obliges us to conlude, that he knew it was /,awfu.I and good.
Here the gentleman yields the case; for if we are in Char­
ity bound to believe Abraham s practice, in buying and
keeping Slaves in his house to be lawful and good: then
it foll ows, that our im itation of him in this his M o ral
Action, is as warrantable as that of his Faith; who is the
Father of all them that believe. Rom. 4. 1 6 . . . .

By the Command of God . . . , we may keep

Bond men, and use them in our Service.

Labor in Colonial America

And after a Serious Exhortation to us all to Love
one another acco rding to the Command of Christ.
Math. 5 .4 3 , 4 4 . This worthy G entleman concl udes
wi th this Asserti o n , That these Ethiopeans as Black as
they are, seeing they are the Sons and Daughters of the
first Adam; the Brethren and Sisters of the Second Adam,
and the Offipring of God; we ought to treat them with a
respect agreeable.

LOVING ALL PEOPLE EQUALLY

IS IMPOSSIBLE

Ans. We grant i t fo r a certain and undeniable verity,
That all M ankind are the Sons and D aughters of
Adam, and the Creatures of God: But it doth not there­
fore follow that we are bound to love and respect all men
alike; this under favour we must take leave to deny; we
ought in charity, i f we see o u r Neighbour in want, to
relieve them in a regular way, but we are not bound to
give them s o m uch o f our Estates, as to make them
equal with our selves, because they are our B rethren,
the S o ns of Adam, no, not our own natural Kinsmen:
We are Exhorted to do good unto all, but especially to
them who are of the Houshold of Faith, Gal. 6 . 1 0 . And
we are to love, honour and respect all men according
to the gift of God that is in them: I may love my Servant
well, but my Son better; Charity begins at home, i t
would be a violation of common prudence, a n d a breach
of good manners, to treat a Prince like a Peasant. And
this worthy G e ntleman would deem himself m uch
neglected, if we should show him no more Defference
than to an o rdi nary Porter: And therefore these florid
expressions, the S o ns and D aughters of the F i rst
Adam, the B rethren and S i s ters o f the Second Adam,
and the O ffspring of G od, seem to bemisapplied to
i mport and insin uate, that we ought to tender Pagan
Negroes w i th all love, kindness, and equal respect as
to the best of men.

B y a l l which i t d o th evidently appear both by
S cr i p ture a n d Reas o n , the p ractice o f the People o f
G o d i n a l l Ages, b o th befo re and after t h e giving o f
t h e , a n d i n t h e t i m es o f t h e G o s p e l , t h a t there
were B o n d men, Women a n d Children c o m m o nly
kept by holy and good men, and improved i n Service;
and therefo re by the Command o f God, Lev. 2 4 : 44 ,
a n d their venerable Exam p l e , w e m a y keep B o n d
men, and use them in o u r Service still; yet with all can­
dour, moderation and Christian p rudence, acco rding
to their state a n d co n d i t i o n c o n s o n a n t to the Word
of God.

T H E NEGROES’ C HARACTER

Cowardly and cruel are those Blacks Innate,
Prone to Revenge, Imp of inveterate hate.
He that exasperates them, soon espies
Mischief and Murder in their very eyes.

V O L . 1 : F R O M C O L O N I A L T I M E S T O R E C O N S T R U C T I O N 42 43

Part 2
F OR G IN G A NEW NATION (1750-1800)

CHRONOLOGY

1 754

May Governor of Virginia sends militia under George
Washington i n to Ohio Valley to challenge French
expansion.

June Albany Congress held by delegates of six colonies to
discuss defense; Benjamin Frankl in drafts Albany Plan of ·
Union.

1 754-1 763

Winter French and Indian War takes place.

1 760

October 25 Geo rge III becomes king of Great Britain.

1 763

February 10 France cedes North American territories to
England in Treaty of Paris.
May Chief Pontiac of Ottawa tribe leads Indian attacks in
Great Lakes region.
October 7 Great Britain declares territory west of Appala­
chians off limits to American colonization.

1 765

March 22 Stamp Act becomes law.

May Patrick Henry attacks Stamp Act at meeting of
Virginia House of Burgesses.

August Riots against Stamp Act take place in Boston.

October 5 Stamp Act Congress meets to protest Stamp
Act.

1 766

March 18 Parliament repeals Stamp Act and passes
Declaratory Act asserting Parliament’s supremacy over
colonial affairs.

1767

July 2 Quartering Act and Townshend Duties passed.

1 768

August Boston merchants adopt colonies’ first nonimpor­
tation agreement against British goods.
October British soldiers stationed in Boston.

1 769

July 16 First permanent European settlement i n California
established by Fr. Junipero Serra at San Diego.

1 770

March 5 Boston Massacre occurs.
April Townsend Duties repealed, colonists lift trade
embargo.

1 771

May 1 6 North Carolina farmers known as Regulators,
rebelling against North Carolina governor William T1yon,
defeated at Battle of Alamance Creek.

1773

December 16 Boston Tea Party colonists objecting to tea
tax dump English tea into Boston harbor.

1 774

March Parliament passes Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) .

4 5

Pm·t I: Colonial America (1582-1750)

Libidinous, Deceitfol, False and Rude,
The Spume Issue of Ingratitude.
The Premises consider ‘d, all may tell,
How near good Joseph they are parallel.

FOR F URTHER READING

Ira Berlin, Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of
Slavery in North America. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press
of Harvard U niversity Press, 1 998.

Winthrop Jordan, White over Black: American Attitudes Toward
the Negro, 1550-1812, New York: Norton, 1 977.

T. Benson Strandness, Samuel Sewall: A Puritan Portrait. East
Lansing: Michigan S tate University Press, 1 967.

Larry Tise, Proslavery: A History of the Defense of Slavery in America,
1701-1840. Athens, U niversity of Georgia Press, 1 987.

Betty Wood, The Origins of American Slavery: Freedom and
Bondage in the English Colonies. New York: H i l l and Wang,
1 997.

O P P O S I N G V I E W P O I N T S I N A M E R I C A N H I S T O RY 44