Providence’s richest family split over slavery — and made legal history in the 1790s

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The Brown Brothers’ Slavery Feud in Providence

The Brown brothers of Providence fought a family war over slavery that split their mansion and legacy. When the slave ship Sally lost half its human cargo in 1764, Moses Brown had a change of heart.

His wife’s death in 1773 pushed him to join the Quakers, free his slaves, and fight the trade. John, however, kept buying and selling people…

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