In 1821, in his last will and testament, Tennessean Alexander M. Nelson stipulated that his slave Phillis should be manumitted when she reached age thirty-five, and any children she might have when they reached ages twenty-seven (for females) and thirty (for males). Phillis was set free but died on her way to Liberia. Phillis's daughter Julia is now over twenty-seven but is being held as a slave by Nelson's son, Alexander Nelson. Julia believes that Alexander Nelson "does not intend ever to restore her or her children to liberty unless compelled by legal process." She sues for her freedom. There is some urgency, she says, because Nelson plans to move from Alabama to Arkansas or Texas. In related petitions, Julia's siblings, Harriett, Jeremiah, and William also sue for their freedom.
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Repository: Shelby County Archives, Columbiana, Alabama
