Dunmore's Proclamation was issued in November 1775 by John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore, who was the royal governor of Virginia. The proclamation declared that enslaved people and indentured servants who escaped their owners and joined the British forces would be granted freedom. This was part of Dunmore's strategy to undermine the American Revolution by encouraging rebellion among enslaved individuals. The proclamation aimed to weaken the colonial resistance by offering a promise of freedom to those who fought for the British. It marked a significant moment in the Revolutionary War, as it highlighted the complex relationship between slavery and the fight for independence in the American colonies.