He is a notable and rare example of the successful escape from slavery and indentured servitude. The son of a black slave and a white indentured servant, he was born free under Virginia law, which at the time gave children the legal status of their mothers.
This individual stands out as an extraordinary case of liberation from slavery and servitude. As the son of a black slave and a white indentured servant, he benefited from Virginia's laws that made his mother's status determine his own, rendering him free-born.