In this petition to the General Assembly dated December 21, 1819, Judith Hope asks the legislature to honor her emancipation per her enslaver’s will and to grant her permission to live free in Virginia. An 1806 law required emancipated people to leave the state within twelve months of gaining their freedom, while an 1816 law allowed emancipated people to seek permission from the government to remain. Petitions like Hope’s continued to pressure the General Assembly to address whether and how to end slavery in Virginia.
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