A lot of them were fleeing with family. They were helping others escape that were slaves. They were being forced out, at times, because even though they weren't slaves, they were mistreated. They claim that slavery, at the time, was to protect African Americans. They fed them, housed them, etc. So supposedly it was because they were no longer safe. Also, back then, you could become a slave, unless you had your papers. So some feared becoming slaves.
What is the Declaration of Independence accusing King George III of doing? The full statement is: "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
The Federalist Papers mainly argued for ratification of the Constitution and promised that the federal government under the Constitution would not become too powerful and tyrannical--which was the concern of the Anti-Federalists.
