thanks to everyone for the responses.
Bill
________________________________
From: "Finkelman, Paul <[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]>
To: Bill Crews <[log in to unmask]>; "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3:14 PM
Subject: RE: [VA-HIST] 18th century opposition to slavery
I have never encountered any significant white opposition; There is of course substantial opposition (universal?)t among slaves and the small number of free blacks in the Colony and early state. There are Quakers who want to free their own slaves -- such as John, Jonathan, and Robert Pleasants. When Virginia allows private, in-state manumission (1781 to 1806) there is steep rise in the number of free blacks, from about 2000 in 1780 to about 30,000 by 1810. This indicates private discomfort with slavery and the willingness of thousands of Virginians to free their slaves at great financial sacrifice. And there is a small manumission society in the state in the 1790s that includes a few prominent people. But this society does not accomplish much, if anything. A few prominent Virginians free their slaves (Washington, Carter, and Edward Coles) but most of those manumitting slaves are not prominent. St. George Tucker proposes a plan to end
slavery, but it would have taken nearly 100 years to get rid of all slavery, and in any event it gets no support from anyone else. (Below is the cite to an article on this). But otherwise, there is nothing that would resemble antislavery.
[ Paul Finkelman, "The Dragon St. George Could Not Slay: Tucker's Plan to End Slavery," 47 WILLIAM AND MARY LAW REVIEW 1213-1243 (2006).]
Paul Finkelman
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bill Crews
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 9:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VA-HIST] 18th century opposition to slavery
was there any significant opposition to slavery in Virginia during the 18th century, economically/religiously? If so can someone point me towards a reputable source?
Bill
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