Dear John,
Matthew Ashby was born to a white, indentured servant mother and African father. Because Virginian slavery laws dictated children take their mother's status, Matthew had to be an indentured servant until he was 31 years old. In 1769, he petitioned to get his enslaved wife and children freed. Use this lesson from our new
Slavery and the Founding curriculum to help your students explore how Matthew Ashby and his family's lives were impacted by the slavery laws in Virginia and their struggle to gain freedom. | 
