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Proclamation

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 7 November 1775

Virginia's royal governor declares martial law and promises freedom to enslaved people who join British forces.

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By His Excellency the Right Honorable JOHN Earl of DUNMORE, His Majesty’s Lieutenant and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and Vice Admiral of the same.

A  PROCLAMATION.

AS I have ever entertained Hopes, that an Accommodation might have taken Place between Great-Britain and this Colony, without being compelled by my Duty to this most disagreeable but now absolutely necessary Step, rendered so by a Body of armed Men unlawfully assembled, firing on His Majesty’s Tenders, and the formation of an Army, and that Army now on their March to attack His Majesty’s Troops and destroy the well disposed Subjects of this Colony. To defeat such treasonable Purposes, and that all such Traitors, and their Abettors, may be brought to Justice, and that the Peace, and good Order of this Colony may be again restored, which the ordinary Course of the Civil Law is unable to effect; I have thought fit to issue this my Proclamation, hereby declaring, that until the aforesaid good Purposes can be obtained, I do in Virtue of the Power and Authority to ME given, by His Majesty, determine to execute Martial Law, and cause the same to be executed throughout this Colony: and to the end that Peace and good Order may the sooner be restored, I do require every Person capable of bearing Arms, to resort to His Majesty’s STANDARD, or be looked upon as Traitors to His Majesty’s Crown and Government, and thereby become liable to the Penalty the Law inflicts upon such Offences; such as forfeiture of Life, confiscation of Lands, &c. &c. And I do hereby further declare all indented Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able and willing to bear Arms, they joining His Majesty’s Troops as soon as may be, for the more speedily reducing this Colony to a proper Sense of their Duty, to His Majesty’s Crown and Dignity. I do further order, and require, all His Majesty’s Leige Subjects, to retain their Quitrents, or any other Taxes due or that may become due, in their own Custody, till such Time as Peace may be again restored to this at present most unhappy Country, or demanded of them for their former salutary Purposes, by Officers properly authorized to receive the same.

GIVEN under my Hand on board the Ship WILLIAM, off Norfolk, the 7th Day of November, in the sixteenth Year of His Majesty’s Reign.

DUNMORE.

(GOD save the KING.)

Repository

The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia

Source Note

This document, a broadside, is in the University of Virginia's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collectons Library; its call number is A 1775 .V55.

Image Credit

Courtesy of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

Print text. In large letters near the top it reads "A Proclamation."

Courtesy of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.

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Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 7 November 1775

Authors

1
John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore

Colonial governor whose 1775 promise of freedom to enslaved people who joined British forces and attempts to suppress Virginia rebels hastened revolution.

Place Written

1
May 1765

910

29 May 1765

Virginia Resolves, 29 May 1765
April 1772

451

1 April 1772
Handwritten document.

Virginia House of Burgesses' Petition Against the Importation of Slaves from Africa, 1 April 1772
October 1774

911

14 October 1774
Handwritten manuscript.

Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, 14 October 1774

823

20 October 1774
Printed broadside.

Continental Association, 20 October 1774
February 1775

575

16 February 1775

Massachusetts Spy, 16 February 1775
November 1775

175

7 November 1775
Print text. In large letters near the top it reads "A Proclamation."
Proclamation

Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, 7 November 1775

January 1776

108

1 January 1776
Cursive text.

Liberty Further Extended; or, Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping, by Lemuel Haynes
1 January 1776
Cursive text.

Liberty Further Extended; or, Free Thoughts on the Illegality of Slave-Keeping, by Lemuel Haynes
June 1776

436

7 June 1776
Handwritten document.

Thomas Jefferson, Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 August 1776
7 June 1776
Handwritten document.

Thomas Jefferson, Notes of Proceedings in the Continental Congress, 7 June–1 August 1776

892

7 June 1776
Cursive handwritten text

Lee Resolution, 7 June 1776

588

11 June 1776
Fragment of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's handwriting.

Thomas Jefferson, Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, circa 11 June–4 July 1776
11 June 1776
Fragment of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's handwriting.

Thomas Jefferson, Fragment of the Composition Draft of the Declaration of Independence, circa 11 June–4 July 1776

374

11 June 1776
Cursive handwriting, featuring strikeouts and insertions of text.

Thomas Jefferson, “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 11 June–4 July 1776
11 June 1776
Cursive handwriting, featuring strikeouts and insertions of text.

Thomas Jefferson, “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence, 11 June–4 July 1776

587

28 June 1776
Cursive handwriting.

John Adams's Copy of the Declaration of Independence, before 28 June 1776
July 1776

893

2 July 1776
Paragraph of cursive handwritten text. Below are two columns written sideways.

Adoption of the Lee Resolution, 2 July 1776

55

4 July 1776
Front of the engrossed parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence, dated July 4, 1776, with the title "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America" and the signatures of the Continental Congress delegates at the bottom.

Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776

146

9 July 1776
Handwritten copy of the General Orders, 9 July 1776, page one.

General Orders, 9 July 1776

61

10 July 1776
Cursive text from the Issac Bangs journal, page 91.

Extract from Isaac Bangs's Journal, 10 July 1776
November 1776

454

28 November 1776

Declaration of Dependence, 28 November 1776
May 1777

171

1 May 1777

Joseph Brant on Indigenous Allegiances, as recalled by Chainbreaker, circa May 1777
1 May 1777

Joseph Brant on Indigenous Allegiances, as recalled by Chainbreaker, circa May 1777
June 1777

699

20 June 1777
Cursive text. A paragraph appears at the top of the page, followed by two columns of names listed by date of swearing.

Pennsylvania Oaths of Allegiance, 20 June 1777–25 November 1778
20 June 1777
Cursive text. A paragraph appears at the top of the page, followed by two columns of names listed by date of swearing.

Pennsylvania Oaths of Allegiance, 20 June 1777–25 November 1778
July 1777

181

4 July 1777
Two pages from within a diary book. Each handwritten entry is separated by a horizontal line.

Extract from the Diary of Elizabeth Drinker, 4 July–18 December 1777
4 July 1777
Two pages from within a diary book. Each handwritten entry is separated by a horizontal line.

Extract from the Diary of Elizabeth Drinker, 4 July–18 December 1777
November 1777

809

15 November 1777
Cursive text. In large text at top of page reads "To all to whom."

Articles of Confederation, 15 November 1777
January 1779

182

1 January 1779

Extract from Samuel Rowland Fisher's Journal, 1779
1 January 1779

Extract from Samuel Rowland Fisher's Journal, 1779
June 1779

152

30 June 1779
Single column of print text of various sizes.

Philipsburg Proclamation, 30 June 1779
November 1779

104

12 November 1779
Cursive text.

Prince Whipple and Others' Freedom Petition to the New Hampshire General Court, 12 November 1779
April 1781

614

19 April 1781

John Adams, Memorial to the States General, 19 April 1781
September 1787

814

17 September 1787
Cursive handwriting. Top of the page, in large print reads, "We the People."

Constitution of the United States, 17 September 1787
June 1796

177

4 June 1796

Extract from Boston King's Memoirs, 4 June 1796
December 1818

580

4 December 1818
Document written by Thomas Jefferson about Benjamin Franklin, c.4 December 1818, page one.

Thomas Jefferson’s Anecdotes of Benjamin Franklin, circa 4 December 1818

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