Elizabeth Key, an enslaved woman in colonial Virginia, used the legal argument of her mixed-race heritage and her father's status as an Englishman to win her freedom. She claimed that because her father was a free Englishman, she should inherit his status as a free person. This argument was based on English common law principles that considered a child's status to follow that of the father. In 1656, Elizabeth Key's case set a significant precedent, and she successfully won her freedom and the freedom of her infant son. While her case did not end slavery in Virginia, it highlighted the complexities of slavery and the potential for legal challenges based on a person's parentage and English heritage.