Connecticut established “Gradual Emanicipation” in 1784, but it applied only to those born after March first of that year. For those already held in slavery, the route out was through manumission, the process by which the enslaver legally released the person held in slavery from enslavement.
Connecticut had a process for accomplishing this goal. (See https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/law/statutes/1650-1958 to review the appropriate period in the Connecticut General Statutes.) The process was supposed to result a certificate being issued by the town selectman indicating that the person being manumitted could support themselves, followed – presumably – by a legal document created by the enslaver. Originals of these documents are hard to find, although they do exist.
However, some did go further and ensured that a copy was on file with the town’s clerk in the event any questions were raised. Because the enslaved were considered property, the manumissions are generally interfiled with the town’s land records. Most should be digitized and available from a FamilySearch affiliate library.
Connecticut Roots by Charter Oak Genealogy 