Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of the Colony of Virginia, signed a proclamation promising freedom for the slaves of Patriots if they joined the British Armed Forces.

John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore

British Army officer and colonial administrator (1730–1809)

John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Virginia from 1771 to 1775. Dunmore was named governor of New York in 1770. He succeeded to the same position in the colony of Virginia the following year after…

Colony of Virginia

British colony in North America (1606–1776)

The Colony of Virginia was a British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776.

Dunmore's Proclamation

1775 declaration by the governor of Virginia

Dunmore's Proclamation is a historical document signed on November 7, 1775, by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, royal governor of the British colony of Virginia. The proclamation declared martial law in the colony, and promised freedom for "all indented servants, negroes, or…

Slavery in the United States

The legal institution of human chattel slavery, comprising the enslavement primarily of Africans and African Americans, was prevalent in the United States of America from its founding in 1776 until 1865, predominantly in the South. Slavery was established throughout European…

Patriot (American Revolution)

Colonists who opposed British rule during the American Revolution

Patriots were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed the Kingdom of Great Britain's control and governance during the colonial era and supported and helped launch the American Revolution that ultimately established American independence. Patriot politicians led colonial…

British Armed Forces

Combined military forces of the United Kingdom

The British Armed Forces are the unified military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid.…