Abolition, slavery & women’s rights
Quock Walker
Born 1753; death date uncertain
Massachusetts connection
Barre and Worcester County
Walker challenged his enslavement in court. Cases connected to him helped establish that slavery could not stand under the Massachusetts Constitution. The legal changes of the 1780s did not end racism or make everyone equal in daily life. Rights still required continued work.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Your turn, historian
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- What unfair rule or practice did this person challenge, and how?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Quock Walker mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: Massachusetts Historical Society ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?
Freeman, Walker, and freedom cases