If they fought for freedom, they were beasts; if they did not fight, they were born slaves. If they cowered on the plantations, they loved slavery; if they ran away, they were lazy loafers. If they sang, they were silly; if they scowled, they were impudent.
—W.E.B. DuBois, writing of the no-win situation facing enslaved Africans
A Tapestry of Heroism and Resilience
The narrative of African Americans’ struggle for freedom in 19th-century America is one of courage, determination, and unwavering resistance against oppressive systems. The Christiana Riot, Marlborough Meeting Riot, Harriet Sheppard’s Escape, and other pivotal events in Chester County highlight the relentless fight against slavery and the pursuit of liberty. These stories, woven together, form a tapestry of heroism and resilience, showcasing the indomitable spirit of those who dared to defy injustice.
The Christiana Riot
Tensions in Lancaster County, Chester County’s western neighbor known for its Quaker community and commitment to the Underground Railroad in the decades before the Civil War, reached a boiling point in September 1851.
After freedom seekers John Beard, Thomas Wilson, Alexander Scott, and Edward Thompson escaped from the Gorsuch family in Maryland, they found refuge in Lancaster County, also just over the Mason-Dixon line. The elder Gorsuch obtained warrants under the Fugitive Slave Law to “reclaim his “property” and led a party of slave catchers to recapture them.
The North Fights Back
The confrontation occurred on the farm of free African American William Parker. His wife Eliza sounded the alarm, and a group of armed neighbors including formerly enslaved African Americans, and both black and white abolitionists, quickly gathered to confront the Gorsuch party. Edward Gorsuch was killed and his son wounded, forcing the retreat of the U.S. Marshals and their party.
The Home of William Parker
Castner Hanway, Elijah Lews & Joseph P. Scarlet
The Aftermath: Trials and Acquittals
The aftermath of the riot saw the return of U.S. Marshals with three detachments of U.S. Marines, but by then, assisted by abolitionists including Frederick Douglass, Parker and his wife had fled to Canada. Thirty-eight men, including four Quakers, were arrested and charged with treason. The trial of the Castner Hanway, first defendant and thought to be the leader of the anti-slavery group, ended in acquittal. This decision led to the release of the other 37 men, a move celebrated by Northern abolitionists as a significant victory against the Fugitive Slave Act and the institution of slavery.
The Christiana Riot and the subsequent acquittals quickly became a smoldering symbol of the growing divide between the North and the South. It was one of the first instances of armed resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law, which illustrated that residents in the North were not going to stand by as freedom seekers were recaptured, setting a precedent for future acts of defiance.
The Marlborough Meeting Riot
Although lesser known than the Christiana Riot, the Marlborough Riot of 1852 was an equally significant event in the history of the American abolitionist movement in Chester County. Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women’s rights movement and escalating tensions over enslavement, the incident at the Marlborough Friends Meeting provides a clear illustration of the deep divisions and passionate activism that characterized this tumultuous era.
At the close of the Woman’s Rights Convention in West Chester, PA, in June 1852, word spread that Oliver Johnson, a renowned anti-slavery journalist and activist, intended to speak at the Marlborough Friends Meeting. Johnson was a prominent figure in various social reform campaigns of the 19th century, including the abolitionist movement, and represented the intersection between women’s rights and anti-slavery movements in Chester County within a broader shift towards progressive social reform.
A Growing Rift Within the Quaker Community
The Marlborough Friends Meeting, dominated by Quakers who were not universally supportive of active involvement in abolition, came to symbolize the growing rift within the Quaker community over the issue of slavery. To prevent Johnson from speaking, members at the meeting used an 1847 law designed to prevent disturbances at religious gatherings to invite Constable McNutt to attend the meeting. When Johnson began speaking, he was immediately interrupted and told to desist. Despite Johnson’s compliance, the disagreement escalated, leading to an attempt to physically remove him from the meeting to cries of “shame, shame” from others who supported Johnson.
The incident, which came to be known as the “Marlborough Riot,” resulted in the arrest of Johnson and five others, including prominent Quakers Eusebius, William, and Vincent Barnard, and Dr. Bartholomew Fussell, charged with disrupting the peace of a religious gathering. Johnson paid his fine and left to report the affair in the “Pennsylvania Freeman” in Philadelphia. The others were convicted, but their fines were mysteriously paid.
The Longwood Progressive Meeting House is Founded
Even though a very strange occurrence at a Friends Meeting, The Marlborough Riot became more than a momentary disturbance. It represented a significant shift in the community’s social reform and activism. Just the next year, 58 men and women left their original Quaker meetings and established the Pennsylvania Yearly Meeting of Progressive Friends based on principles of “moral accountability” and “practical righteousness.” They dedicated the Longwood Progressive Meetinghouse in 1855, now one of the key locations on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Many founding members, including Eusebius Barnard and his relatives, prominent stationmasters and Underground Railroad conductors, were disowned or read out and not accepted until years after the Civil War ended.
Harriet Shephard’s Great Escape
In the annals of American history, the story of Harriet Shephard’s escape stands as a powerful testament to her resilience and courage. Her journey from Chestertown, Maryland, in November 1855 orchestrated one of the most audacious escapes ever recorded. Shephard seized two of her owner’s carriages and four horses, embarking on the perilous quest with ten others, including her children.
William Still, often hailed as “the father of the Underground Railroad,” chronicled Shephard’s odyssey in his 1872 book, “The Underground Railroad Records,” shedding light on the intricate network of abolitionists who risked everything to aid freedom seekers. Shephard and her party first found refuge with Thomas Garrett in Wilmington, Delaware. Aware of the imminent danger of pursuit, Garrett swiftly moved the group to Kennett Square in Chester County, a nexus for abolitionist activity in the antebellum era, where the group was disguised and dispersed to various local conductors, including Elijah Pennypacker and Grace Anna Lewis, with Canada as their ultimate destination.
Integral to guiding freedom seekers to safety, often facing violent reprisals from pro-slavery mobs, risking being tarred, feathered, and forced to flee the county, many abolitionists, both black and white, only returned after the Civil War. The fate of some who were targets of violence remains uncertain, but their bravery and sacrifice in the face of such adversity are emblematic of the time. The legacy of these events and individuals continue to inspire.