Educational materials developed through the Baltimore County History Labs Program, a partnership between Baltimore County Public Schools
and the UMBC Center for History Education.
RS#43: History Lab Document Log Answer Key
Overarching Question: Should the colonists have revolted against Great Britain?
Document Name: Petition of 1779 by slaves of Fairfield County for the abolition of Slavery in
Connecticut
Type of Document: Primary source—Petition
Date of Document: 1779
Author of Document: Jonathan Sturges wrote the petition for Prince and Prime
Author Information: Jonathan Sturges, an important abolitionist, helped to write this petition. Two
slaves who were both most likely illiterate, Prime and Prince, signed it. They were both owned by
prominent families in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Intended Audience: General Assembly of the State of Connecticut
Purpose for Writing: Prime and Prince wanted to persuade the General Assembly of the State of
Connecticut that slavery is evil and that it should be abolished.
Do Prime and Prince think the colonies should revolt against Great Britain?
Text Support
The poor, uneducated Africans have to convince the people who committed this horrid Wickedness
and who have Knowledge from being a part of a civilized Nation of their Sin.
Your Honors are nobly fighting for the Cause of Liberty and all of the great Empires of the world
admire you. You should not resent that we are fighting the detestable Practice of slavery (and seeking
our liberty too).
Author’s Perspective: Prime and Prince think that the colonies should revolt against Great Britain
because the cause of liberty is a noble cause. They admire the Patriots for fighting for their liberty. They
are fighting for a similar cause in their petition. They wish to gain their freedom from the detestable
practice and sin of slavery.