In August, 1774, the Virginia Colonial Convention resolved: "We will
neither ourselves import, nor purchase any slave or slaves imported by
any other person, after the first day of November, next, either from
Africa, the West Indies or any other place."[15]
On the fifth of September, 1774, when the Continental Congress
assembled for the first time, her delegates in that body submitted the
memorial known in history as, "A Summary View of the Rights of British
America," in which the course of George III was arraigned and the
sentiments of Virginia in regard to the slave trade declared as
follows:
"For the most trifling reasons, and sometimes for no conceivable
reason at all, His Majesty has rejected laws of the most salutary
tendency. The abolition of domestic slavery is the great object of
desire in those colonies, where it was, unhappily, introduced in
their infant state. But, previous to the enfranchisement of the
slaves we have, it is necessary to exclude all further importations
from Africa. Yet, our repeated requests to effect this by
prohibitions, and by imposing duties which might amount to a
prohibition, have been hitherto defeated by His Majesty's negative;
thus preferring the immediate advantage of a few British Corsairs to
the lasting interests of the American States, and to the rights of
human nature deeply wounded by this infamous practice."[16]
The representatives from Virginia in the Continental Congress were
active in their efforts to secure the adoption of the Non-Importation
Agreement which included a resolve to discontinue the slave trade and
a pledge neither to hire "our vessels nor sell our commodities or
manufactures to those who are concerned in it."[17]
W. E. B. DuBois declares: "Virginia gave the slave trade a special
prominence and was in reality the leading spirit to force her views on
the Continental Congress."[18]
Nor were these resolves of the Virginia people idle, for numerous
evidences can be cited of the activity of her vigilance committees. At
Norfolk, the committees, finding that one John Brown had purchased
slaves from Jamaica, reported that we "hold up for your just
indignation Mr. John Brown, merchant of this place ... to the end ...
that every person may henceforth break off all dealings with him."[19]