Topic: Manumission of Yat

Connections to the Social Studies Framework

Social Studies Practice Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence

Key Idea 7.2e Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, slavery grew in the colonies. Enslaved Africans utilized a variety of strategies to both survive and resist their conditions.

Reading Standard Craft and Structure

Compelling Question: What obstacles to freedom did the enslaved in New York face?

Historical Context: Individuals were enslaved in New York from 1626-1827. Enslaved individuals used many methods to resist their enslavers. Some enslavers granted freedom to those who were enslaved through a process called manumission. Enslaved individuals had to meet a list of requirements in order to qualify for manumission and their enslaver had to request the manumission. A manumission record was filed with the town clerk and some of these documents still exist today.