Emancipation
Although the Virginia Assembly passed a manumission act in 1782 allowing for the freedom of any slave by his or her owner, James remained the property of William Armistead (A 1783 law specifically targeted at freeing slaves whose owners had used them as substitutes for army service in exchange for their liberty did not apply to James). However, in 1786, with the support of William Armistead (then a member of the House of Delegates) and carrying a 1784 testimonial of his service from the Marquis de Lafayette, James petitioned the Virginia Assembly for his freedom (The facsimile of the letter of commendation can be viewed on the Lafayette College website,). On January 9, 1787, the Virginia Assembly granted James' petition. It was at that time that he chose to add 'Armistead' and 'Lafayette' to his name, to honor the general.
He continued to live in New Kent County with his new wife, one son and several other children. He became a farmer and at one point owned three slaves. . By 1818 he applied to the state legislature for financial aid. He was granted $60 for present relief and $40 annual pension for his services in the Revolutionary War.
Read more about this topic: James Armistead
Famous quotes containing the word emancipation:
“... women learned one important lesson—namely, that it is impossible for the best of men to understand women’s feelings or the humiliation of their position. When they asked us to be silent on our question during the War, and labor for the emancipation of the slave, we did so, and gave five years to his emancipation and enfranchisement.... I was convinced, at the time, that it was the true policy. I am now equally sure that it was a blunder.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)
“The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself.”
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)
“The sanctity of womanhood is incompatible with social liberty and social claims; and for a woman emancipation means corruption.”
—Honoré De Balzac (1799–1850)