Mother of Freedom: Mumbet and the Roots of Abolition

Rose, Ben Z.

ISBN 10: 0978912330 / ISBN 13: 9780978912338

Published by TreeLine Press, Lincoln, Massachusetts, 2020

About this Item

Second edition, 2020, stated (1e was 2009). Inscribed and signed by the author on the title page. Mumbet, aka Elizabeth Freeman (c. 1744-1829), was born a slave but successfully sued for her freedom based on the 1781 Massachusetts Constitution, basically ending slavery in the state. The book is unmarked; spine and wraps uncreased; sleeve protected.

Seller Inventory # 014600

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mother of Freedom: Mumbet and the Roots of Abolition
• Publisher: TreeLine Press, Lincoln, Massachusetts
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0978912330
• ISBN 13: 9780978912338
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)

About this title

Synopsis

Mumbet was the Rosa Parks of her day. Her venue was a small-town court, rather than a crowded bus. But her bravery in defying the largest landowner in her community is inspiring.

Two months before the last battle of the American Revolution, a black slave known as Mumbet summoned the courage to sue her master, in a bid for her freedom. Though slavery had been ingrained in Massachusetts for well over a century, Mumbet was inspired by the public reading of the state’s ground-breaking Constitution, and its words, “all men are born free and equal.” Her case against the largest landowner in the region attracted the support of two up-and-coming attorneys: Theodore Sedgwick, a friend, and aspiring politician, and Tapping Reeve, the founder of the first law school in America.  

In this fast-paced story of racial justice in early America, author Ben Z. Rose paints a portrait of Mumbet against the backdrop of the rise and fall of slavery in New England.

As we search for insight into those who planted the first seeds of abolition, Mumbet reminds us of the courage and sheer grit required to topple an established way of life. She also reminds us that before slavery could be abolished in the South, it needed to be uprooted in the North.

About the Author

Ben Z. Rose is a New England-based writer, whose books focus on inspirational figures in early American history. In John Stark: Maverick General, Ben brings to life the legendary Patriot commander who survived Indian captivity, before becoming the hero of Bunker Hill and Bennington. The book was chosen by ForeWord Reviews’ quarterly magazine as a finalist for best biography. In Mother of Freedom, Ben explores the life of Mumbet, an African American slave who summoned the courage to take her master to court, in a bid for her freedom. The book was recommended by Choice Reviews as “an insightful account of an unusual lawsuit in post-Revolutionary Massachusetts.”