Anthony Burns

His capture and trial in Boston, and transport back to Virginia, generated wide-scale public outrage in the North and increased support for abolition.

The Fugitive Slave Act was despised and fiercely resisted in Boston, and Burns's case attracted national publicity, including large demonstrations, protests, attacks, and violence.

He was called to a position in Upper Canada (Ontario), where an estimated 30,000 refugee African Americans, both enslaved and free, had fled, to gain or retain their freedom.

Anthony's father was rumored to be a free man who worked as a supervisor in a quarry in Virginia who later died from stone dust inhalation.

In order to repay the family’s existing debts, Charles mortgaged his slaves and continued his mother’s financial practices to prevent further bankruptcy.

[3] At the age of 7, Burns was hired out to three single women (referred to as maidens in the historic text) to work for $15 a year, paid to his master.

[8] Simultaneously, Millerism was introduced to his small county in Virginia, and Burns was excited by the religious fervor that spread like wildfire.

[11] Anthony used this new position to preach exclusively to assemblies of enslaved persons, although Virginia nominally required all-black congregations to be supervised by a white minister.

According to Anthony, if a law officer discovered the blacks in their meeting, any enslaved persons who did not escape would be put into cages and given 39 lashes the following day.

The young man was excited to work in a city with ships that sailed down the James River and then through the Chesapeake Bay to the North.

[19] We went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, compromise Union Whigs & waked up stark mad Abolitionists.Anthony Burns left Richmond, Virginia, one early February morning in 1854.

His friend stowed him away in a small compartment on the ship, and Anthony immediately fell asleep after days of anxious and long nights.

The vessel reached Boston in late February or early March (the exact date is unknown), and Burns immediately began seeking new employment.

While walking, Butman stopped Burns at the corner of the Court and Hanover street intersection and arrested him under the guise of a jewel store robbery.

[27] At the end of the hearing, commissioner Loring agreed to push further proceedings back to May 27,[27] but they were again delayed until the 29th due to Burns's late appointment of counsel.

In an interview, Theodore Parker, witness to the trial, cited that Burns's hesitancy to accept counsel came from fear over how well Brent and Suttle knew him.

[27] In this time, the guards tried to provoke and trick Anthony into slipping up and admitting to his status as a slave, but Burns evaded their tactics.

During the plaintiff’s argument, Loring approved their request to present the conversation between Suttle and Burns as evidence from the night of his arrest.

[32] In addition, the counsel knew that the commissioner would be hesitant to accept the testimony of a colored man, so they called up 7 other witnesses to validate his story.

Between these two propositions, the committee ruled to go forth with the second and more peaceful plan, and additionally posted men at the courthouse to make sure the officials did not try to move Burns without their knowledge.

On Friday evening, May 26, the entire committee dispersed from their meeting in Faneuil Hall at around 9 p.m., when the men planned to hold their assault.

[38] The crowd picked up members from the committee meeting as they made their way to the courthouse, and began their attack by breaking down the doors with axes and wooden construction beams.

However, it is highly unlikely the attack would have been successful in rescuing Anthony since he was held in an extremely secure room in the top floor of the courthouse.

With this news, the citizens of Boston set up interviews and tried to persuade the mayor to join their side of the cause and free Burns.

[43] Initially, the crowd succeeded in convincing the mayor to only implement one military company to guard the courthouse the day Burns was moved.

[43] Mayor Smith ended up implementing an entire brigade of state militia to help clear the streets on the day of Burns's transfer.

While the mayor was planning for crowd control, Freeman put together a band of 125 citizens of Boston to help move Burns.

This action prompted severe anger from politicians in Washington, D.C., and President James Buchanan appointed Loring to the Federal Court of Claims when a position became open.

[51] McDaniel knew he was going against public sentiment in North Carolina by selling Burns to the Northerners, so he swore Anthony to secrecy.

After briefly preaching in Indianapolis, Burns moved to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 1860 to accept a call from Zion Baptist Church.