They were also hesitant to give slaves weapons to defend the plantation, for fear the slaves would use the weapons on the owners. But the slaves wanted to fight for their freedom and there was talk of such a deal in Virginia. British Governor, Lord Dunmore, seized the idea by creating a proclamation granting slaves who left their American owners freedom if they would serve his army instead. He felt the addition of black soldiers would help him win an upcoming battle, but the opposite was true. Southerners were so angered by this, they fought even harder, and starting in Virginia where the same deal was offered to slaves, the army increased by thousands of former slaves and Dunmore was defeated. After the war, most slaves actually returned “home” to their former plantations. Bizarre as this may seem, it sparked a change in many slave owners, including William