The Humble Petitioner

Write the next chapter in the unfinished struggle. In Colonial America, those without the right to vote were forced to pursue other avenues to have their voices heard. While protests and even riots were common, many used the universal right to petition in order to reach legal solutions to the problems they faced.

Explore the power of petitions in Old State House’s Council Chamber–the very room where colonial and early state governments considered these and many other petitions from working men, women, enslaved people, and Native tribes to advocate for their rights to freedom, autonomy, property, and more! This exhibit brings visitors through the process of advocacy in the colonial world, emphasizing the use of formal petitions to change policies and address needs relevant to the 17th and 18th centuries and, in many cases, still struggled with by Americans today.

Supported in part by Meet Boston.