Comes now the Virginia Congress with the contemporaneous findings of slave insurrections that some claim do not exist.
Text of Virginia Congress Declaration
Virginia, Dec. 14, 1775.
By the Representatives of the People of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, assembled in GENERAL CONVENTION
A DECLARATION
WHEREAS lord Dunmore, by his proclamation, dated on board the ship William, off Norfolk, the 7th day of November 1775, hath offered freedom to such able-bodied slaves as are willing to join him, and take up arms, against the good people of this colony, giving thereby encouragement to a general insurrection, which may induce a necessity of inflicting the severest punishments upon those unhappy people, already deluded by his base and insidious arts; and whereas, by an act of the General Assembly now in force in this colony, it is enacted, that all negro or other slaves, conspiring to rebel or make insurrection, shall suffer death, and be excluded all benefit of clergy : We think it proper to declare, that all slaves who have been, or shall be seduced, by his lordship's proclamation, or other arts, to desert their masters’ service, and take up arms against the inhabitants of this colony, shall be liable to such punishment as shall hereafter be directed by the General Convention. And to that end all such, who have taken this unlawful and wicked step, may return in safety to their duty, and escape the punishment due to their crimes, we hereby promise pardon to them, they surrendering themselves to Col. William Woodford, or any other commander of our troops, and not appearing in arms after the publication hereof. And we do farther earnestly recommend it to all humane and benevolent persons in this colony to explain and make known this our offer of mercy to those unfortunate people.
EDMUND PENDLETON, president.
By the Representatives of the People of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, assembled in GENERAL CONVENTION
This all happened in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson was only a member of the House of Burgesses at the time. He probably didn't hear anything of it.
A bunch of clap-trap, posturing and saber rattling does not equate to action. Where were the slave insurrections? Where were masters being murdered? My decree is bigger than your decree. Anyway, its important to clarify that Jefferson did not add, to his draft, excited domestic insurrection. Though I will add that jeffersondem and DL seem very excited by the prospect that he did and that it was a euphemism for slave insurrection. That way they can claim that the 13 Slave States complained that Britain was interfering with slavery! Ha ha ha. Thats a good one. You two deserve each other.
"...all negro or other slaves, conspiring to rebel or make insurrection, shall suffer death..."
So, here we see one "general insurrection" and one "insurrection".
So tell us, how many times does VA mention "domestic insurrections"?
Go ahead, take your time, read VA's declaration carefully, I'll wait.
Let us know how may "domestic insurrections" you found there.
And while you're at it, why not look up how many slave revolts there really were in the months before July 4, 1776.
That could be important to defining just what "domestic insurrection" meant to those people.