people in other parts of America. Some of the owners of
slaves were careful to instruct them in reading, and in the
doctrines and duties of religion ; and there have been in-
stances among the Africans here, of persons who have profit-
ed by these instructions, and have sustained a virtuous and
exemplary character.

Query 5. The mode by which slavery hath been abol-
ished ? whether by a general and simultaneous emancipation ?
or at different periods ? or whether by declaring all persons
born after a particular period, free ?

The general answer is, that slavery hath been abolished
here by publick opinion ; which began to be established about
thirty years ago. At the beginning of our controversy with
Great-Britain, several persons, who before had entertained
sentiments opposed to the slavery of the blacks, did then
take occasion publickly to remonstrate against the inconsist-
ency of contending for our own liberty, and at the same
time depriving other people of theirs. Pamphlets and
news-paper essays appeared on the subject ; it often entered
into the conversation of reflecting people ; and many, who
had, without remorse, been the purchasers of slaves, con-
demned themselves, and retracted their former opinion.
The Quakers were zealous against slavery, and the slave
trade ; and by their means, the writings of ANTHONY
BENEZET, of Philadelphia, JOHN WOOLMAN, of New-Jersey,
and others, were spread through the country. NATHANIEL
APPLETON and JAMES SWAN, merchants, of Boston, and Dr.
BENJAMIN RUSH, of Philadelphia, distinguished themselves
as writers on the side of liberty. Those on the other side
generally concealed their names ; but their arguments were
not suffered to rest long without an answer. The contro-
versy began about the year 1766, and was renewed at
various times, till 1773, when it was very warmly agitated,
and became a subject of forensic disputation at the publick
commencement in Harvard college.

In 1767, an attempt was made by the legislature to dis-
courage the slave trade. A bill was brought into the house
of representatives "to prevent the unnatural and unwarrant-
able custom of enslaving mankind, and the importation of
slaves into the province." In its progress, it was changed
to "an act for laying an import on negroes imported." It