Slavery may have been eliminated everywhere in the United States until 1865, but America started its journey toward abolition in Massachusetts in 1781. As much as they disdained the institution of slavery, it wasn't the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, or Patrick Henry that kicked off that journey, but rather a slave woman by the name of Mum Bett.

The story of Mum Bett is a powerful one that highlights a woman who knew in her heart that she had a right to be free. What's especially fascinating about this story, however, is how it showcases that the original intent of the idea of America was to eventually eliminate, not sustain, the evil institution of slavery.

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