His Community Wouldn't Let Him Get Taken By "Slave Hunters"

Slave kidnap poster 1851 Boston
Abeni Jones
February 5, 2020

Shadrach Minkins escaped the horrors of slavery in 1850 and found a job - and community - among the free Black people of Boston.

Then the government passed the Fugitive Slave Act, and a “slave hunter” was hot on his tail.

There were thousands of free Black people in Boston, and a robust anti-slavery movement. Would Minkins escape again, to an uncertain future in Canada? Or rely on his newfound community?

Before he had a chance to plan his next move, a slave hunter found and kidnapped Minkins - the first “fugitive slave” captured in Massachusetts under the new law.

Officials brought Minkins to the courthouse for arraignment. But his community rolled TOO DEEP to let that happen! What they did next shocked everyone.

Nearly 200 supporters stormed the courthouse! Some grabbed Minkins and escaped with him. The crowd was so powerful that the U.S. Marshals stationed at the courthouse didn’t dare fight back.

Activist Hayden Lewis hid Minkins until the coast was clear, then helped connect him to the Underground Railroad and escape north to Canada, where he remained a free man for the rest of his life.

When we come together in numbers, we can resist racist law enforcement and a crooked “justice” system. “The people united can never be defeated,” goes the popular chant, and Shadrach Minkins’ story is just one more powerful example of this truth!

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