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 Prince Whipple and Winsor Moffatt, Revolutionary Petitioners - Portsmouth, NH
N 43° 04.742 W 070° 45.507
19T E 356853 N 4771091
This historical marker is one of the stops along the Black Heritage Trail, describing the struggle for freedom of African-born slaves in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during the Revolutionary War.
Waymark Code: WMJ0TF
Location: New Hampshire, United States
Date Posted: 09/06/2013
Views: 2
This historical marker is located at the Moffatt-Ladd mansion; it reads:
PORTSMOUTH
Black Heritage Trail
Prince Whipple and Winsor Moffatt
Revolutionary Petitioners
Prince, enslaved by General William Whipple and
his wife, Katharine Moffatt, accompanied the general
through several battles of the American Revolution
but was not freed until 1784. In 1779, however,
Prince and Winsor were two of twenty African-born
men in Portsmouth who signed an elegantly worded
petition asking the State legislature to abolish
slavery. The lawmakers tabled the petition. The local
newspaper printed the text in its issue of
July 15, 1780 "for the amusement" of its readers.
"Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail
Site #11
Moffatt-Ladd House
154 Market Street
The Moffatt-Ladd mansion is remembered as the home of Declaration of Independence signer and Revolutionary War general William Whipple, and his wife. It was also the home of their slaves. Among them was Prince, who joined 19 other African-born Portsmouth men in making their own bid for independence. On November 12, 1779 they submitted a petition to the New Hampshire State Legislature describing how they had been kidnapped from Africa as children. Invoking rationalist philosophy and Christian theology they pled for abolition. Bostonian slaves submitted three such petitions to their government. All were undoubtedly aware of a 1722 legal case in Britain that condemned the enslavement of baptized Christians, which was written up in New England newspapers and ignored by white Americans. The New Hampshire legislature agreed to consider the petition, but tabled it instead, and never abolished slavery. Owners made individual decisions about emancipation and many slaves were freed by 1800. A few remained enslaved in New Hampshire as late as 1840." SOURCE
Marker Name: Prince Whipple and Winsor Moffatt, Revolutionary Petitioners
Marker Type: Local/Unofficial
Marker Location: Portsmouth
Official Marker Number: Not listed
Date Marker Established: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
-- At least one original photo of the marker showing some of the background.
(You or team members may be included, and you may submit multiple photos.)
-- Date of your visit
-- Optional: Any interesting details of your trip
-- Optional: Additional research, links, etc. relevant to the historical event, person or place commemorated.
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