Colonel Tye - Prelude To Revolution

Prelude To Revolution

In November 1775 John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation offering freedom to all slaves and indentured servants who would leave rebel masters and join the British. The proclamation led almost 100,000 slaves to escape and join the British — Titus among them. Planters considered this a "diabolical scheme"; it contributed to their support for the Patriot cause (Henretta et al. 2006). Having learned to sell his own goods and memorized a map of the region, Titus escaped from Corlies and traveled down the coast to Virginia. There he passed as a freedman and did odd jobs. Corlies posted a reward for Titus's capture and return, describing him as "about 21 years of age, not very black, near six feet high".

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