Source A: Samuel Sewall Biography
Samuel Sewall was born in Hampshire, England, on March 28, 1652. When he was nine, his family moved to Newbury, Massachusetts. He later attended Harvard College, where he earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 1676, he married Hannah Hull, the daughter of a wealthy merchant and mintmaster. The couple had fourteen children, although only a few lived to adulthood.
Through his marriage, Sewall gained strong ties to Boston’s political and business world. He managed a printing press and became involved in banking, publishing, and trade. In 1681, the colony appointed him official printer. When his father-in-law died in 1683, Sewall took his place on the colony’s council of assistants, which handled both legislative and court duties. Although he had no formal legal training, he became a respected judge.
In 1692, Governor William Phips appointed Sewall as one of the judges in the Salem witch trials. The court found twenty people guilty and sentenced them to death. As the trials ended, many people began to question the judgments. In 1697, Sewall stood before his church congregation while a minister read aloud his confession. In it, he took responsibility for the harm caused by the trials and asked for forgiveness. He was the only judge from the court to make a public apology.
Sewall continued to serve as a government official for many years. In 1700, he published an essay called The Selling of Joseph, which argued against slavery in the colonies. In it, he wrote that slavery went against natural law and compared the experience of enslaved Africans to the biblical story of Joseph being sold by his brothers. This essay is now recognized as one of the earliest antislavery writings in American history.
Sewall is also remembered for the diary he kept from 1673 to 1729. It covers everyday events and major moments in colonial New England, giving historians valuable insight into Puritan life. He wrote about court cases, social customs, health concerns, and even personal matters like courtship after his wife’s death. His writing remains one of the most detailed records of the time.
Samuel Sewall died in Boston on January 1, 1730. He left behind a legacy as a writer, public official, and one of the first colonists to speak out against slavery.
Source B: Adapted Excerpt from The Selling of Joseph by Samuel Sewall. 1700.
There is no fair trade between money and freedom. Liberty is too valuable to be sold. People are often very careful when buying things like gold or even a horse, but they do not show the same caution when buying and selling men and women. That is a great mistake. Human beings are the offspring of God, and their liberty is more precious than all the gold in the world.
God has said that anyone who steals a person and sells them, or is found holding them, should be put to death. Man-stealing is a capital crime, one of the worst offenses there is. If this is true, then buyers should beware. A person who buys or sells another human being may be guilty of a terrible sin, no matter how common the practice seems.