Adams County residents ask the legislature to pass acts of emancipation for the family of Ben Vousdan, who died in 1816 without providing for their freedom. The petitioners note that Ben Vousdan was a former slave, freed in 1802 by the will of his late owner, William Vousdan. Ben married a slave named Mary, whom he purchased from Stephen Minor, and the couple had five children: Louisa or Lucy, Rachel, Sandy, Mary Anne, and Benjamin. Ben and his wife lived "as free persons, separate and apart, to themselves," but when Ben died in 1816 his family remained legally in bondage. The petitioners argue that Ben intended to free them and was attempting to have a will drawn up to that effect when he died.
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Repository: Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi
