What are some of the major arguments for and against slavery presented in these petitions? What common themes do you see presented by each side?

Document A Petition of a slave for his freedom to Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, His Majesty's Council, and the House of Representatives, June 1773. 66 The Petition of a Great Number of Blacks of this Province who by divine permission are held in a state of Slavery within the bowels of a free and Christian Country Humbly Showing That your Petitioners apprehend we have in common With all other men a natural right to our freedoms without Being deprived of them by our fellow men as we X are a freeborn People and have never forfeited this Blessing by any compact or agreement whatever.. ... Neither can we reap an equal benefit from the laws of the Land which doth not justify but condemns Slavery or if there had been any Law to hold us in Bondage we are Humbly of the opinion there never was any to enslave our children for life when Born in a free Country....Document B Group of slaves petition his Excellency Thomas Gage Governor To the Honorable, His Majesty's Council, and the Honorable House of Representatives of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in General Court assembled; June 1774. We are informed, there is no law of this Province, whereby our masters can claim our Services; mere custom is the tyrant that keeps us in bondage, and deprives us of that use of the Law, which our fellow men, who we hope believe under God are no better than us, are entitled to, & do enjoy. We do not claim rigid justice; but as we are deserving like other men, of some compensation for all our toils and sufferings; we would therefore in addition to our prayer, that all of us, excepting such as are now infirm through age, or other ways unable to support themselves, may be liberated and made free men of this community, and be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of its free and natural born subjects..Document C A group of African Americans slaves petition the Honorable Counsel & House of Representatives for the State of Massachusetts Bay in General Court assembled, Jan 13, 1777. GG The petition of A Great Number of Blacks detained in a State of Slavery in the Bowels of a free & Christian Country Humbly show that your Petitioners Apprehend that They have in Common with all other men a Natural and Inalienable Right to that freedom which the Great Parent of the Universe hath Bestowed equally on all mankind and which they have Never forfeited by Any Compact or Agreement whatever. But they were Unjustly Dragged by the hand of cruel Power from their Dearest friends and the sum of them Even torn from the Embraces of their tender Parents-- from a populous, pleasant, and plentiful country in Violation of the Laws of Nature and of Nations.....Evils have Arisen from a Partial emancipation of Slaves under the Act entitled an Act Authorizing the manumission of Slaves. Your Petitioners are well Convinced many of the said Free Negroes are Agents, Factors, and Carriers to the neighboring Towns, For Slaves of Property by them Stolen From their masters and Others. Your Petitioners have reason to believe A Great number of slaves taken by the British army are now passing in this Country as Freemen. Therefore to Remedy the Above Evils and prevent their becoming more General as Well as to Guard X Against fraud of the owners of Slaves who may be indebted, as much as their worth are, your petitioners Humbly pray the Above Recited Act may be repealed, and that no free negro or mulatto shall Be permitted to pass a Freeman Unless he shall produce from under the hand of the Clerk of the Court of some County within this state Testifying his right to freedom and that some mod may be Adopted which the wisdom of the Honorable Assembly may suggest to prevent free Negroes or mulattoes trading with or For slaves.,When the British Parliament usurped a Right to dispose of our Property without our Consent, we dissolved the Union with our Parent Country, and established a Constitution and Form of Government of our own, that our Property might b secure, in Future. In Order to effect this we risked our Lives and Fortunes, and waded through seas of Blood. By the favorable Interposition of Providence our Attempt was crowned with Success. We were put in the Possession of our Rights of Liberty and Property: And these Rights as well secured, as they can be by any human Constitution or Form of Government. But not withstanding this, we understand a very subtle and daring Attempt is made to dispossess us of a very important Part of our Property. An Attempt set on Foot, we are informed, by the Enemies of our Country, Tools of the British Administration, and supported by certain Men among us of considerable Weight, to wrest from us our Slaves, by an Act of the Legislature for a general Emancipation of them, an Attempt unsupported by Scripture or sound Policy.But not withstanding this, we understand a very subtle and daring Attempt is made to dispossess us of a very important Part of our Property. An Attempt set on Foot, we are informed, by the Enemies of our Country, Tools of the British Administration, and supported by certain Men among us of considerable Weight, to wrest from us our Slaves, by an Act of the Legislature for a general Emancipation of them, an Attempt unsupported by Scripture or sound Policy. It is also exceedingly impolitic. For it involves in and is productive of Want, Poverty, Distress, and Ruin to the Free Citizen; Neglect, Famine and Death to the black Infant and superannuated Parent; The Horrors of all the Rapes, Murders, and Outrages, which a vast Multitude of unprincipled, unpropertied, revengeful, and remorseless Banditt (Bandits) are capable of perpetrating: inevitable Bankruptcy to the Revenue, and consequently Breach of public Faith, and Loss of Credit with foreign Nations: and, lastly, sure and final Ruin to this now flourishing free and happy Country. 95To this free, and we trust, inoffensive, as well as necessary Communication of our Sentiments, on the most important Subject that ever arrested the attention of a free People, we are enforced by a daring attempt now on foot in several Counties in this State by Petitions warmly advocated by some Men of considerable weight to wrest from us, by a Act of the Legislature, the most valuable and indispensable Article of our Property, our Slaves, by a general Emancipation of them: An Attempt that involves in it not only a flagrant Contempt of the constituent Powers of the Commonwealth, in which it's Majesty resides and which we are sorry to have occasion to observe seem to be forgotten by too many, and a daring attack on that sacred Constitution thereby established but also, Want Poverty, Distress and ruin to the free Citizen; the Horrors of a Host of unprincipled, unpropertied, vindictive, and remorseless Banditti (Bandits) are capable of perpetrating; Neglect, famine and Death to the abandoned black Infant, and superannuated Parent; inevitable Bankruptcy to the revenue; Desperation and revolt to the disappointed,The Petition of diverse Freeholders and inhabitant of Hanover County Humbly Represents, that many Evils have Arisen from a Partial emancipation of Slaves under the Act entitled an Act Authorizing the manumission of Slaves. Your Petitioners are well Convinced many of the said Free Negroes are Agents, Factors, and Carriers to the neighboring Towns, For Slaves of Property by them Stolen From their masters and Others. Your Petitioners have reason to believe A Great number of slaves taken by the British army are now passing in this Country as Freemen. Therefore to Remedy the Above Evils and prevent X their becoming more General as Well as to Guard Against fraud of the owners of Slaves who may be indebted, as much as their worth are, your petitioners Humbly pray the Above Recited Act may be repealed, and that no free negro or mulatto shall Be permitted to pass a Freeman Unless he shall produce from under the hand of the Clerk of the Court of some County within this state Testifying his right to freedom and that some mode may be Adopted which the wisdom of the Honorable Assembly may suggest to prevent free Lmulattome