elizabeth freeman freedom lawsuit Archives

Episode Description

Elizabeth Freeman (Mum Bett) put slavery on trial and won. Discover the constitutional fight that broke one man’s claim to own her.

In 1781, Elizabeth Freeman and Brom challenged slavery through the Massachusetts Constitution’s declaration that all men are born free and equal. Professor Nick Giordano traces the brutality of the Ashley household, the constitutional battle in Brom and Bett v. Ashley, and the verdict that secured their freedom. This American Revolution story exposes the contradiction between a Patriot’s demand for liberty and his claim to own human beings. Freeman’s life after the verdict reveals what freedom made possible: paid work, property ownership, and personal independence.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

Elizabeth Freeman’s Courage: Discover how Mum Bett resisted abuse within the Ashley household and challenged a powerful man’s authority over her life.
The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780: See why its promise of natural rights gave Freeman and Brom a legal weapon against slavery.
Brom and Bett v. Ashley: Follow the 1781 freedom suit that attorneys Theodore Sedgwick and Tapping Reeve brought before a Berkshire County jury.
Life After the Verdict: Explore Freeman’s choices as a free woman, her work as a nurse and midwife, and her path to a home and land of her own.
Liberty’s Test: Examine why constitutional promises require citizens with the courage to assert their rights and institutions that uphold them.

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