Person · 1730–1809
John Murray, Lord Dunmore
Virginia’s last royal governor, who retreated to naval protection and offered freedom to enslaved people belonging to rebels who joined British forces.
Why this person matters
Dunmore’s policy made slavery and Black self-emancipation immediate military forces while using freedom for limited imperial ends.
Principal contributions
- Issued Dunmore’s Proclamation
- Organized royal and Black military resistance in Virginia
Role in the episode arc
Royal governor at the center of Virginia’s overlapping political, civil, and slave wars.