Yesterday we went looking for some good coastal fishing places on the Atlantic side and wound up investigating the ruins of Lord Dunmore's colonial-era plantation. He was the royalist governor of colonial Virginia who got his butt kicked out by some rebels named Washington, Jefferson, Henry, Mason, Etc. Like many of the Loyalists, he headed to the Bahamas.
Dunmore wound up governing from the Bahamas. Not sure if he governed from his plantation on Long Island or Nassau. When slavery was abolished the plantation was abandoned. We found two large stone structures, a cistern and many foundations that had crumbled. There were stone walls all over the area. We reached the path by following a decent road off the Queen's Highway to several homes on the Atlantic side, one home is named Ryan's View. We parked at a dead end road where we had a view of the ruins. Found the well camouflaged trail.
From Wikipedia - Dunmore was not a very nice guy!!!
Lord Dunmore's Proclamation
In November 1775 Lord Dunmore issued a controversial proclamation, later known as Lord Dunmore's Proclamation. Faced with rebellion and short of troops, Virginia's royal governor called on all able-bodied men to assist him in the defense of the colony, including enslaved Africans belonging to rebels. He promised such slave recruits freedom in exchange for service in the British Army.
...I do require every Person capable of bearing Arms, to resort to His MAJESTY'S STANDARD, or be looked upon as Traitors to His MAJESTY'S Crown and Government, and thereby become liable to the Penalty the Law inflicts upon such Offenses; such as forfeiture of Life, confiscation of Lands, &. &. And I do hereby further declare all indented Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able and willing to bear Arms, they joining His MAJESTY'S Troops as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this Colony to a proper Sense of their Duty, to His MAJESTY'S Crown and Dignity.--- Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, November 7, 1775[5]
Within a month about 800 formerly enslaved African Americans had escaped to Norfolk, Virginia to enlist. It is likely that far more heard the call and would have joined if not for the fear of reprisal.[6][7]
Outraged Virginia slave owners decreed that runaway slaves would be executed. They also engaged in a smear campaign of the British Army's promises, saying that slaves who escaped to the British would be sold to sugar cane plantations in the West Indies. Despite this, many slaves were willing to risk their lives for a chance at freedom.[8]
Dunmore's Proclamation was the first mass emancipation of enslaved people in United States history.[6] The 1776 Declaration of Independence refers obliquely to the Proclamation by citing as one of its grievances, that King George III had 'excited domestic Insurrections among us'.[9]
After the American Revolutionary War began, a number of British generals issued proclamations calling for Loyalists to free their slaves so that they could join the undermanned British army and bolster its numbers. Among those issuing proclamations were John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, Governor of Virginia,[6] and Sir Henry Clinton.[10] The Governor of Jamaica, John Dalling, drafted a proposal in 1779 for the enlistment of a regiment of mulattoes and a regiment of Negroes.[11]
Order of photos is mixed up -
No comments:
Post a Comment