On the eve of the American Revolution, slavery was recognized and accepted and British and American abolitionists had been forged during the colonial period.November of 1775, Virginia's royal governor, John Murray, fourth earl of Dunmore, issued a proclamation in response to information that the colonists had begun forming armies and attacking British troops. Dunmore wanted to put a quick end to the fighting and other activities he considered traitorous. Known as "Dunmore's Proclamation," the governor's announcement created fervor among the populace and may have actually helped secure the alignment of many moderate or undecided white Virginians against the British government. A lot behind why slavery was not in the declaration of
