Mumbett Liberty Worksheet
Massachusetts Civic Archives • Grade 8 Handout
Courtroom to Constitution: Mumbett's Quest for Freedom
Name: ________________________
Date: _________ Period: ______
"Any time, any time while I was a slave, if one minute's freedom had been offered to me, and I had been told I must die at the end of that minute, I would have taken it—just to stand one minute on God's earth a free woman." — Elizabeth "Mumbett" Freeman
1. Biography
Born enslaved in New York around 1744, Mumbett was sold as a child to John Ashley, a wealthy judge in Sheffield, Massachusetts. For decades, she endured enslavement. She possessed a sharp intellect; in 1780, while working in the Ashley home, she overheard local leaders discussing the newly drafted Massachusetts Constitution.
2. The Arlington Connection
This constitution was put to a direct vote in every town. In 1780, citizens of Menotomy (modern-day Arlington, MA) gathered in their town meeting to debate, vote, and ratify this text. The residents of Arlington actively established the local law that Mumbett would soon use to claim her natural-born rights.
Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbett), 1811 portrait by Susan Ridley Sedgwick.
3. Civic Accomplishment
In 1781, Mumbett sued for her freedom. In the historic case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, her lawyer argued that the state constitution's declaration that "All men are born free and equal" made slavery illegal. The jury ruled in her favor, making her the first Black woman freed under the state constitution. She then took the name Elizabeth Freeman.
Quick Check: Understanding the Journey
Q1: What specific words in the Massachusetts Constitution inspired Mumbett to sue for her freedom, and how did she learn about them?
Q2: Explain how the citizens of Arlington (Menotomy) in 1780 were connected to Mumbett's legal victory in 1781.
Unit: Expanding Rights in Early America Page 1 of 2 (Front)
Massachusetts Civic Archives • Historical Comparisons
Mumbett’s Legacy: State & Nationwide Impact
Elizabeth Freeman Case Study
4. Comparison: Massachusetts vs. Other States (1780s)
Massachusetts ended slavery almost instantly through court decisions based on its constitution. This was an immediate shift. In contrast, other northern states took a slower, more gradual path:
Immediate Judicial Abolition (MA) No phase-out period. The court ruled that constitutional principles applied to all instantly, ending the legal status of slavery by 1783.
Gradual Legislative Abolition (PA, NY) Pennsylvania's 1780 law freed only the *children* of enslaved people born after the law was passed, and only after they worked until age 28.
5. Timeline: Massachusetts vs. The Nation
The rights Mumbett won locally in 1781 took generations to become federal law:
1781
Massachusetts: Mumbett wins her court case, sparking the end of state-level slavery.
1787
U.S. Constitution: Protects the slave trade for 20 years and includes the Three-Fifths Clause.
1865
U.S. 13th Amendment: Slavery is abolished nationwide—84 years after Mumbett's victory.
Elizabeth Freeman's memorial statue in Sheffield, MA.
Civic Analysis: Applying Historical Lessons
Q3: Compare the strategies: What was the main difference between how Massachusetts ended slavery (Mumbett's court lawsuit) and how Pennsylvania did (laws passed by the legislature)? Which strategy seems more democratic, and why?
Q4: Mumbett was illiterate, yet she understood constitutional principles better than many educated citizens. How did she demonstrate "civic literacy" and "agency" (the power to act) in her local community?
Q5: Local Perspective: Imagine you are a citizen of Menotomy (Arlington) in 1781 who voted to ratify the State Constitution. Write a 3-sentence letter to a Boston newspaper explaining why Mumbett's courtroom victory represents the true fulfillment of the town's vote.
Unit: Expanding Rights in Early America Page 2 of 2 (Back)
Prince Hall Freedom Worksheet
Massachusetts Civic Archives • Grade 8 Handout
Petitioning for Freedom: Prince Hall's Civic Leadership
Name: ________________________
Date: _________ Period: ______
"We... have in common with other men a natural right to our freedoms, without being deprived of them by our fellow men, as we are a freeborn people and have never forfeited this blessing by any compact or agreement." — From Prince Hall's 1777 Petition to the Massachusetts Legislature
1. Biography
Born around 1735, Prince Hall lived and worked in Boston as a free Black man during the peak of the American Revolution. He was a skilled leather craftsman, a caterer, and a highly respected community organizer. As a free person of color in a highly unequal society, Hall experienced firsthand the daily injustices faced by Black Americans.
2. The Arlington Connection
In April 1775, the opening battles of the Revolution erupted in Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy (modern-day Arlington, MA). Prince Hall and other local patriots wanted to fight for the promise of liberty. Seeking to build a community support system, Hall successfully founded African Lodge No. 1 in Boston. This served as a vital mutual aid hub for Black residents across the Boston area, including nearby Arlington.
Dignified portrait painting of civil rights trailblazer Prince Hall.
3. Civic Accomplishment
Prince Hall believed in using peaceful, constitutional methods to challenge injustice. His primary tool was the petition—a formal, written request signed by citizens and delivered directly to the legislature. In 1777, Hall and seven other Black men petitioned the Massachusetts government, arguing that slavery was completely hypocritical during a war for liberty.
Quick Check: Understanding the Journey
Q1: Why did Prince Hall argue that the institution of slavery was a hypocritical contradiction in Revolutionary Massachusetts?
Q2: What was the African Lodge No. 1, and why was it necessary for Black residents of the Boston and Menotomy (Arlington) area to establish their own mutual aid organizations?
Unit: Expanding Rights in Early America Page 1 of 2 (Front)
Massachusetts Civic Archives • Historical Comparisons
Prince Hall’s Legacy: Organizing for Equal Rights
Prince Hall Case Study
4. Comparison: Massachusetts vs. Other States (1770s-1780s)
Prince Hall's work highlighted the unique civic environment of Massachusetts. While Massachusetts allowed free Black citizens to formally petition the legislature, other states were far less receptive to Black organizing:
Prince Hall's memorial monument on Cambridge Common.
