While the foreign trade was flourishing, the influence of the Friends
and of other causes eventually led to a movement against slavery as a
local institution. Abolition societies multiplied, and in 1770 an
abolition bill was ordered by the Assembly, but it was never passed.[39]
Four years later the city of Providence resolved that "as personal
liberty is an essential part of the natural rights of mankind," the
importation of slaves and the system of slavery should cease in the
colony.[40] This movement finally resulted, in 1774, in an act
"prohibiting the importation of Negroes into this Colony,"--a law which
curiously illustrated the attitude of Rhode Island toward the
slave-trade. The preamble of the act declared: "Whereas, the inhabitants
of America are generally engaged in the preservation of their own rights
and liberties, among which, that of personal freedom must be considered
as the greatest; as those who are desirous of enjoying all the
advantages of liberty themselves, should be willing to extend personal
liberty to others;--Therefore," etc. The statute then proceeded to enact
"that for the future, no negro or mulatto slave shall be brought into
this colony; and in case any slave shall hereafter be brought in, he or
she shall be, and are hereby, rendered immediately free...." The logical
ending of such an act would have been a clause prohibiting the
participation of Rhode Island citizens in the slave-trade. Not only was
such a clause omitted, but the following was inserted instead:
"Provided, also, that nothing in this act shall extend, or be deemed to
extend, to any negro or mulatto slave brought from the coast of Africa,
into the West Indies, on board any vessel belonging to this colony, and
which negro or mulatto slave could not be disposed of in the West
Indies, but shall be brought into this colony. Provided, that the owner
of such negro or mulatto slave give bond ... that such negro or mulatto
slave shall be exported out of the colony, within one year from the date
of such bond; if such negro or mulatto be alive, and in a condition to