COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, Oct. 22, 1817  In 1818 a woman named Pamela Sparhawk petitioned the Mass. General Court to be recognized as heir to her brother’s estate.
What makes this remarkable? Pamela Sparhawk was a formerly enslaved Black woman.
Pamela separated from her brother in childhood. After more than a decade of bondage in Boston and nearby Newton, she was determined to build a life of her own in freedom. Through her petition, she was asking the state legislature to acknowledge who she was and what the institution of slavery had taken from them both.
Although her story is much longer than can be provided here, Pamela's brother Samuel--separated from each other early in their lives but eventually reconnected--also regained his freedom. He died in 1816, as did his wife some months later.
Her petition as seen in this page 3 notice offers much of the detail, with further information online.
Four pages, never trimmed margins, nice condition.