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60-521: The Christiana Riot , also known as Christiana Resistance , Christiana Tragedy , or Christiana incident , was the successful armed resistance by free Blacks and escaped slaves to a raid led by a federal marshal to recover four escaped slaves owned by Edward Gorsuch of Maryland. The raid took place in the early morning hours of September 11, 1851, at the house in Christiana, Pennsylvania , of William Parker , himself an escaped slave. This took place after

120-405: A Quaker tried to free one of his slaves. In the early 1800s, Isaac T. Hopper , a Quaker from Philadelphia, and a group of people from North Carolina established a network of stations in their local area. In 1831, when Tice David was captured going into Ohio from Kentucky, his enslaver blamed an "Underground Railroad" who helped in the escape. Eight years later, while being tortured for his escape,

180-603: A $ 500 (equivalent to $ 11,390 in 2023) fine if they assisted slaves in their escape. Slave hunters were obligated to obtain a court-approved affidavit in order to apprehend an enslaved individual, giving rise to the formation of an intricate network of safe houses commonly known as the Underground Railroad. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 , part of the Compromise of 1850 , was a federal law that declared that all fugitive slaves should be returned to their enslavers. Because

240-651: A boat to Canada, Parker took refuge in the house of Frederick Douglass . He had known him when both were slaves in Maryland. Douglass arranged for the group to catch the ferry to Canada. The Christiana Riot had been the latest in a series of confrontations over fugitive slaves, following on the heels of several high-profile cases in Boston including the escape of Shadrach Minkins from custody in February 1851. The Federal government had been stymied in its efforts to enforce those cases, and

300-471: A federal warrant under the Fugitive Slave Act for the arrest of George Hammond, Joshua Hammond, Nelson Ford, and Noah Buley. Henry Kline, a deputy Federal Marshall, was authorized to make the arrests. Gorsuch hired John Agan and Thompson Tully, Philadelphia police officers, to assist in the arrest. These three were to meet with Gorsuch and some additional men at Penningtonville (now Atglen ,) a station on

360-504: A former enslaved person could be brought back into a slave state to be sold back into slavery if they were without freedom papers. In 1851, there was a case of a black coffeehouse waiter whom federal marshals kidnapped on behalf of John Debree, who claimed to be the man's enslaver. Enslavers often harshly punished those they successfully recaptured, such as by amputating limbs, whipping, branding, and hobbling. Individuals who aided fugitive slaves were charged and punished under this law. In

420-665: A free state. Gorsuch believed that they had been enticed away and would willingly return if he only talked to them. Christiana , in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania , is 20 miles (32 km) north of the border with Maryland and had become a refuge for fugitive slaves. It was also an area of settlement by numerous free Blacks. This area was frequently raided by slave catchers trying to capture refugee slaves. For two decades, local Blacks had organized for self-protection, at times preventing such capture or even rescuing slaves who had been captured. Others chose to flee to Canada. The leader of

480-472: A local shopkeeper on foot, and Castner Hanway, a local miller on horseback. Gorsuch assumed the white men, although unarmed, were leaders of the estimated 75 to 150 Blacks, many with guns, who arrived over the next 30 minutes. Kline believed the white men would join his party in carrying out the law. He identified himself as a US Marshal and talked with them; Hanway refused to help him to arrest anyone. Hanway apparently told Kline and his group to leave before blood

540-472: A man named Jim said he was going north along the "underground railroad to Boston." Fellow enslaved people often helped those who had run away. They gave signals, such as the lighting of a particular number of lamps, or the singing of a particular song on Sunday, to let escaping people know if it was safe to be in the area or if there were slave hunters nearby. If the freedom seeker stayed in a slave cabin, they would likely get food and learn good hiding places in

600-467: A mechanism to reach Canada. Canada was a haven for enslaved African-Аmericans because it had already abolished slavery by 1783. Black Canadians were also provided equal protection under the law. The well-known Underground Railroad "conductor" Harriet Tubman is said to have led approximately 300 enslaved people to Canada. In some cases, freedom seekers immigrated to Europe and the Caribbean islands . One of

660-450: A new name. Sarah Pownall, a white neighbor and wife of Parker's landlord, stopped by the evening of September 10 to warn that if the raiders came, all of the blacks should flee to Canada. As the raiders traveled up to Parker's house, which was on a hill, they ran into Joshua Kite, possibly returning home or possibly acting as a lookout, and Gorsuch recognized him as one of the escaped slaves. Kite recognized his former owner and rushed back to

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720-518: A portrait of Millard Fillmore , president when the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, on one side and engraved on the other "In memory of Edward Gorsuch, Commemoration of the Christiana Riot and Treason Trials. 1851 – September 11 – 1911"; it was given to a granddaughter of Edward Gorsuch. The other, representing "Liberty", had a portrait of Abraham Lincoln on one side and engraved on the other with "Peter Woods, Freeman, Soldier, Citizen. Sole survivor of

780-532: Is a township in Chester County , Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 4,125 at the 2020 census . According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total land area of 6.17 square miles (16.0 km ) with a total water area of 0.03 square miles (0.078 km ). It includes the village of Sadsburyville in the north, and the census-designated place of Pomeroy in

840-547: The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 , which permitted slave owners or their agents to pursue fugitive slaves in free states and required state officials to aid in the recapture of the alleged slaves. Those aiding an escaping slave could face six months' imprisonment and a $ 1,000 fine. In 1849 Edward Gorsuch, who farmed in Monkton, Maryland , owned twelve slaves. He considered himself a "good" slaveholder, freeing some of his slaves at

900-666: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 21.07 miles (33.91 km) were maintained by the township. U.S. Route 30 is the most prominent highway serving Sadsbury Township. It follows Lincoln Highway and the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass along a west-east alignment through the north-central portion of the township. U.S. Route 30 Business begins at the western end of the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass and continues eastward along Lincoln Highway. Pennsylvania Route 10 follows Octorara Trail on

960-612: The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad . From Philadelphia the group had been watched by Samuel Williams, a member of the Special Secret Committee; he followed Kline and warned the Black community around Christiana that they were coming. Kline, Agan, and Tully were aware that Williams was following them and knew that secrecy was gone; Agan and Tully returned to Philadelphia because of the risk of violence. Kline had been delayed from

1020-472: The Southern United States were concerned that free states would protect people who fled slavery. The United States Constitution , ratified in 1788, never uses the words "slave" or "slavery" but recognized its existence in the so-called fugitive slave clause ( Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3 ), the three-fifths clause , and the prohibition on prohibiting the importation of "such Persons as any of

1080-415: The census of 2010, there were 3,570 people, 1,311 households, and 988 families living in the township. There were 1,361 housing units, of which 1,311 were occupied. The racial makeup of the township was 84.5% White , 8.5% African American , 2.6% Asian , 0.3% Native American , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of

1140-416: The north star to make her way north. She preferred to guide runaway slaves on Saturdays because newspapers were not published on Sundays, which gave her a one-day head-start before runaway advertisements would be published. She preferred the winters because the nights were longer when it was the safest to travel. Tubman wore disguises. She sang songs in different tempos, such as Go Down Moses and Bound For

1200-635: The American Civil War . In the years before the abolition of slavery in the United States, slave-owners of the South pushed for increased federal and state government support for the recovery of escaped slaves. However, in the free states of the North, many residents and governments had resisted, especially given that in the free states many individuals or even state laws protected fleeing slaves. Congress passed

1260-741: The Christiana Riot and Treason Trials. 1851 – September 11 – 1911"; this was given to Peter Woods. In 1998, a historical marker for the Christiana Riot was placed in Lancaster. It is one of several historical markers in Lancaster County that mark significant events related to the Underground Railroad . Another historical marker is at Gorsuch Tavern in Glencoe, Maryland , on the York road , where Edward Gorsuch and some of his relatives and friends met to plan

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1320-642: The Penningtonville meeting and eventually tracked down the Gorsuch party on the morning of September 10 in Sadsbury . The party entering Christiana were Henry Kline, Edward Gorsuch, his son Dickinson Gorsuch, his nephew Joshua M. Gorsuch, his nephew Dr. Thomas Pearce, Nicholas T. Hutchings, and Nathan Nelson. Shortly after midnight on September 11, the Gorsuch party set out on the raid with a hired, disguised white guide. The first house he took them to supposedly had one of

1380-596: The Promised Land , to indicate whether it was safe for freedom seekers to come out of hiding. Many people called her the " Moses of her people." During the American Civil War , Tubman also worked as a spy, cook, and a nurse. Notable people who gained or assisted others in gaining freedom via the Underground Railroad include: Colonial America United States Civil War Canada Mexico Sadsbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Sadsbury Township

1440-474: The States now existing shall think proper to admit" ( Article I, Section 9 ). The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 is the first of two federal laws that allowed for runaway slaves to be captured and returned to their enslavers. Congress passed the measure in 1793 to enable agents for enslavers and state governments, including free states, to track and capture bondspeople. They were also able to penalize individuals with

1500-601: The United States altogether, traveling to Canada or Mexico . Approximately 100,000 enslaved Americans escaped to freedom. Beginning in 1643, slave laws were enacted in Colonial America , initially among the New England Confederation and then by several of the original Thirteen Colonies . In 1705, the Province of New York passed a measure to keep bondspeople from escaping north into Canada . Over time,

1560-606: The United States—including Spanish Florida , Indian Territory , and Western United States —and into Canada and Mexico. The Underground Railroad was initially an escape route that would assist fugitive enslaved African Americans in arriving in the Northern states; however, with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, as well as other laws aiding the Southern states in the capture of runaway slaves, it became

1620-531: The acts or prevent the capture of escaped enslaved people by setting up laws to protect their rights. The most notable is the Massachusetts Liberty Act. This act was passed to keep escaped slaves from being returned to their enslavers through abduction by federal marshals or bounty hunters. Wisconsin and Vermont also enacted legislation to bypass the federal law. Abolitionists became more involved in Underground Railroad operations. In order to throw off

1680-593: The age of 28 and offering them paid seasonal work after that. With changes in crops and other conditions, slavery was no longer as necessary in Maryland, and there were a relatively high proportion of free blacks. Gorsuch did not sell his excess slaves to the Deep South as many other Maryland slave owners of the time did. Five bushels of wheat went missing, and Gorsuch was told that some of his slaves had stolen it. Four of his older male slaves, Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Hammond, and Joshua Hammond, fled north to Pennsylvania,

1740-506: The capturing of fugitive slaves was a federal matter in which states did not have the power to interfere. Many free state citizens were outraged at the criminalization of actions by Underground Railroad operators and abolitionists who helped people escape slavery. It is considered one of the causes of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Congress repealed the Fugitive Acts of 1793 and 1850 on June 28, 1864. Many states tried to nullify

1800-604: The case of Ableman v. Booth , the latter was charged with aiding Joshua Glover's escape in Wisconsin by preventing his capture by federal marshals. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was unconstitutional, requiring states to violate their laws. Ableman v. Booth was appealed by the federal government to the US Supreme Court, which upheld the act's constitutionality. The Underground Railroad

1860-413: The center of resistance in Lancaster County. William Parker knew the group was hunting slaves. Also in his house were his wife, Eliza; her sister, Hannah; Hannah's husband, Alexander Pinckney; and Abraham Johnson. Two visitors were also there: Joshua Kite, also known as John Beard, who was one of Gorsuch's escaped slaves, probably Nelson Ford; and Samuel Thompson, another of the escaped slaves who had taken

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1920-419: The defense team. Theodore Cuyler made the opening speech for the defense. Hanway was acquitted by the jury after 15 minutes of deliberation. The prosecutor then withdrew the other charges, as it was apparent that the charge of treason could hardly be satisfied. The defense pointed out the absurdity of trying a group of poorly armed Quaker farmers for somehow levying war against the United States. William Parker

1980-506: The federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased penalties for assisting escaped slaves and required state government officials, even in free states such as Pennsylvania, to assist in the recapture of slaves. The confrontation resulted in an exchange of gunfire, the death of Edward Gorsuch, and the dispersal of the raiders. In the aftermath many of the Blacks involved quickly traveled to the safety of Canada. In total, 41 persons were indicted by

2040-468: The federal government for treason, including both Blacks and Whites. Castner Hanway, a white man from Christiana, was the first to be tried, beginning in November 1851. After only 15 minutes of deliberation by the jury he was acquitted, and charges against the remaining defendants were dropped. The issue became a national lightning rod, and aroused strong sectional sentiment. It was one of many events leading to

2100-669: The first 38 people listed below were remitted from the District Court to the Circuit Court. On November 14, 1851, the Grand Jury of the United States District Court, Philadelphia returned true bills of indictment against 41 people. Parker and some others were charged in absentia . Of the 41 men charged (ordered as on the indictment), except where noted, 36 were Black: Castner Hanway (sometimes spelled Hanaway), one of

2160-585: The five white men charged and alleged to be a ringleader, was the first to be tried. His trial at the US Courthouse in Philadelphia lasted from November 24 until December 11, 1851. Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Grier and U.S. District Court Judge John K. Kane presided. The prosecution was headed by John W. Ashmead of the US Attorney's office, who was joined by lawyers from Maryland. Thaddeus Stevens headed

2220-652: The horn to signal to local Blacks that help was needed. Shots were fired, either first by the posse at Eliza Parker, or first by the household at Gorsuch when he attempted to enter the house; no one was seriously injured at this time. Dickinson, Gorsuch, and Kline recommended retreat to recruit a larger force; Edward Gorsuch refused. The household asked for time. They discussed whether the two refugee slaves should surrender. Parker may have been delaying so reinforcements could arrive. Numerous armed men arrived, including Noah Buley, another of Gorsuch's escaped slaves. Also arriving were several neighboring whites, including Elijah Lewis,

2280-474: The house, yelling a warning. Accounts of events over the next two hours are contradictory. Parker and his household moved to the second floor with their guns and were in a good position to defend themselves. The Kline and Gorsuch party surrounded the house, and the US Marshal announced their legal authority to seize Nelson Ford. Parker and his household refused to give up Ford, with some debate. Eliza Parker blew

2340-436: The injured party. Generally, they tried to reach states or territories where slavery was banned, including Canada , or, until 1821, Spanish Florida . Most slave laws tried to control slave travel by requiring them to carry official passes if traveling without an enslaver. Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased penalties against runaway slaves and those who aided them. Because of this, some freedom seekers left

2400-414: The legislation as a way in which the federal government overstepped its authority because the legislation could be used to force them to act against abolitionist beliefs. Many free states eventually passed "personal liberty laws", which prevented the kidnapping of alleged runaway slaves; however, in the court case known as Prigg v. Pennsylvania , the personal liberty laws were ruled unconstitutional because

2460-608: The most notable runaway slaves of American history and conductors of the Underground Railroad is Harriet Tubman . Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland , around 1822, Tubman as a young adult, escaped from her enslaver's plantation in 1849. Between 1850 and 1860, she returned to the South numerous times to lead parties of other enslaved people to freedom, guiding them through the lands she knew well. She aided hundreds of people, including her parents, in their escape from slavery. Tubman followed north–south flowing rivers and

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2520-442: The population. There were 1,311 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 10% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.6% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

2580-402: The raid. Escaped slave In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe people who fled slavery . The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850 . Such people are also called freedom seekers to avoid implying that the enslaved person had committed a crime and that the slaveholder was

2640-543: The resistance in 1851 was William Parker, an escaped slave about 29 years old. In Philadelphia, where warrants for the arrest of fugitive slaves in Pennsylvania were usually acquired at the federal court after the 1850 act was passed, another group, the Special Secret Committee, had organized to gather information and warn those being hunted. Edward Gorsuch heard that his four escaped slaves had taken refuge in Lancaster County. On September 9, 1851, in Philadelphia, he obtained

2700-511: The severe offense of treason . Fillmore's actions were somewhat pragmatic: the issue aroused strong sentiments in the South, and Southerners called for the rioters to be hanged or else the South might secede. It received national press coverage. Northerners were also agitated, as – according to them – it demonstrated the reach of the Slave Power and especially the Fugitive Slave Act into the otherwise free North. On October 6, 1851, indictments for

2760-452: The slave states agreed to have California enter as a free state, the free states agreed to pass the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Congress passed the act on September 18, 1850, and repealed it on June 28, 1864. The act strengthened the federal government's authority in capturing fugitive slaves. The act authorized federal marshals to require free state citizen bystanders to aid in the capturing of runaway slaves. Many free state citizens perceived

2820-430: The slaves, but they decided to go to another place where two were staying, before returning for the first. Gorsuch believed that if he had captured two of the slaves, the third, whose wife he still held enslaved, could be persuaded to return. Just before dawn, the group reached William Parker's house, where the guide had said two slaves were staying. The guide left. It is unknown whether the guide had deliberately led them to

2880-446: The south. The township of Sadsbury was organized in 1717. In 1728, it was divided into West Sadsbury Township and East Sadsbury Township. East Sadsbury Township was reduced in size by the creation of Valley Township in 1852, the borough of Parkesburg in 1872 and the borough of Atglen in 1875. The final division came with the inception of West Sadsbury in 1878, with the remainder being Sadsbury Township in its current form. As of

2940-472: The states began to divide into slave states and free states . Maryland and Virginia passed laws to reward people who captured and returned enslaved people to their enslavers. Slavery was abolished in five states by the time of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. At that time, New Hampshire , Vermont , Massachusetts , Connecticut and Rhode Island had become free states. Legislators from

3000-531: The tracking dogs off the trail, escaped slaves rubbed turpentine on their shoes, or scattered "soil from a graveyard" on their tracks. Another technique for scent masking was the use of wild onions or other pungent weeds. Enslavers were outraged when an enslaved person was found missing, many of them believing that slavery was good for the enslaved person, and if they ran away, it was the work of abolitionists , with one enslaver arguing that "They are indeed happy, and if let alone would still remain so". (A new name

3060-550: The woods as they made their way north. Hiding places called "stations" were set up in private homes, churches, and schoolhouses in border states between slave and free states. John Brown had a secret room in his tannery to give escaped enslaved people places to stay on their way. People who maintained the stations provided food, clothing, shelter, and instructions about reaching the next "station". Often, enslaved people had to make their way through southern slave states on their own to reach them. The network extended throughout

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3120-520: Was $ 78,803. Males had a median income of $ 50,806 versus $ 43,142 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 31,603. 2.1% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those aged between 18 and 64 and nobody aged 65 and over. As of 2018, there were 33.02 miles (53.14 km) of public roads in Sadsbury Township, of which 11.95 miles (19.23 km) were maintained by

3180-402: Was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.1. In the township the population had 2.9% under the age of 15, 10.7% from 15 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. 50.7% of the population were males, 49.3% were females. The median income for a household in the township was $ 77,551, and the median income for a family

3240-463: Was a network of black and white abolitionists between the late 18th century and the end of the American Civil War who helped fugitive slaves escape to freedom. Members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), African Methodist Episcopal Church , Baptists , Methodists , and other religious sects helped in operating the Underground Railroad. In 1786, George Washington complained that

3300-413: Was aided by a white man: either Joseph Scarlett (according to Dickinson), or Levi Pownall (according to Parker). Dickinson was taken to the nearby Pownall house where, although initially expected to die, he survived. Lewis left as soon as the violence started, as did Kline, who joined up with Nicholas Hutchins and followed Lewis. Joshua Gorsuch and Thomas Pearce fled when they realized that Edward Gorsuch

3360-584: Was becoming harsher to create a deterrent. In the case of the re-enslavement of Thomas Sims in April, federal marshals and army soldiers had been used to keep order. However, these previous incidents had been without white deaths. The death of the slave owner in the Christiana riot led to President Fillmore to call out the marines. They searched the area and eventually arrested 36 blacks and five whites. The federal government, wishing to set an example, charged them with

3420-406: Was being attacked. They were sheltered by Hanway on his horse, but he was also trying to flee. He left at a gallop. Joshua Gorsuch and Thomas Pearce continued to flee; they were shot and seriously injured but either escaped (or were released) and survived. Parker, Gorsuch's former slaves, and some other blacks fled north to the eventual safety of Canada. In Rochester, New York , where he was to take

3480-438: Was invented for the supposed mental illness of an enslaved person that made them want to run away: drapetomania .) Enslavers would put up flyers, place advertisements in newspapers, offer rewards, and send out posses to find them. Under the Fugitive Slave Act, enslavers could send federal marshals into free states to kidnap them. The law also brought bounty hunters into the business of returning enslaved people to their enslavers;

3540-700: Was joined in Canada by Eliza, his wife, in November 1851, and eventually their children. They settled in Buxton, Ontario . He died sometime before 1881, and Eliza died in May 1899. Some of their descendants still live in Canada. Castner Hanway moved in 1878 to Wilber, Nebraska , and died there in 1893. In September 1911, a dedication ceremony for a memorial to the incident in Christiana took place with descendants of both sides present and also of Peter Woods, one of those indicted. Memorial medals were cast. The first, representing "Law", had

3600-400: Was shed. According to Lewis, Hanway begged the Blacks not to shoot. Kline apparently warned Hanway and Lewis they were committing a federal crime by not assisting him. When Edward Gorsuch confronted his slave Samuel Thompson, the man clubbed him. Gorsuch fell and was fatally shot multiple times. His son (Dickinson) went to his aid but was also shot multiple times. He was able to move away and

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