Four free Black men freed in North Carolina petition the U.S. Congress against laws threatening to re-enslave them; the House votes not to receive it.
At a Glance
- Date
- 30 January 1797
- Location
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Key people
- Jacob Nicholson, Jupiter Nicholson
- Category
- Abolition & Slavery
- Source
- U.S. House records, January 30, 1797 · National Humanities Center
What It Meant Then
It was the first petition to Congress from African Americans, raising the question of Black citizenship.
What It Means Now
The 1797 petition is a founding document of the Black freedom-petition tradition.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The First Black Petition to Congress.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-first-black-petition-to-congress/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The First Black Petition to Congress. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-first-black-petition-to-congress/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The First Black Petition to Congress.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-first-black-petition-to-congress/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.