Seventy-three Knox County residents represent "that the community in the Bounds of the Eastern part of the state is much disturbed and annoyed by a great number of free negroes and men of colour that have lately Emigrated from other parts of the United States into this state." They report that "a few days since as many as forty eight free negroes have been brought to this end of the state from the State of Virginia and set down amongst us without any visible way of making a lively hood other than by plunder." They therefore pray "your Honorable Body to impose such terms or conditions on free negroes and free men of colour emigrating from any of the United States or any other place into this state as you in your wisdom may think best calculated to secure the good order and peace of society."
Result: Propositions and grievances; reasonable.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
