Huntsvillain History Season 2 - Episode #1 Petition of 1828

On August 13th, 1828 11 enslaved people sued two white men for their freedom in the court of Huntsville Alabama. This was one of only two court cases John O'Brien has ever found that included enslaved people as litigants and not as property.

Today's case covered a vast expanse of 1800's civil rights including a women's right to property and "Manumission" -where a slave owner willingly frees their slaves usually upon their death. We also discuss the documentation required of free black people during the era.

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