Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for September 28, 1976
September 27, 1976
September 29, 1976
Transcript:
Nate Harris: Good morning, Sammy, Josh! Slave: Hello, Nate. Man: Good morning, neighbor! Nate Harris: Sammy, what are you still toiling for this ol' tyrant for? Haven't you heard about abolition? Slave: Not in Virginia, sir. Harris: Virginia?! Sammy, you poor devil, this isn't Virginia - it's Massachusetts, a free state! Slave: What? Man: Oh, Nate... Harris: Oh... did I let the cat out of... Slave: You told me this was Virginia! Man: Sammy, I can explain...
The first article of the constitution of Massachusetts effectively abolished slavery, as per the 1781 ruling in Brom and Bett v. Ashley.