Massachusetts Was A Free State, But Was He A Free Man?

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Briona Lamback
November 14, 2022

Deeply in love – but enslaved – George and Rebecca Latimer dreamed of escaping to freedom. A steamship was leaving from Virginia to Boston. 

They hatched a dangerous plan to jump ship.

The couple snuck aboard and after a grueling journey, they arrived in Boston – to FREEDOM.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. Once in Boston, Latimer was recognized and his former captor, James Gray, was informed of his whereabouts. Gray traveled to Boston, had Latimer arrested and demanded his "property" be returned to Virginia.

Word spread throughout Boston, and 300 Black men gathered to demand Latimer’s freedom. These men pressured the local sheriff’s office, stating the arrest was unjust because Massachusetts was a free state. The sheriff agreed!

Outraged by his “loss,” Gray demanded payment. Local community members raised funds to purchase Latimer from Gray, with Latimer being officially freed in 1842 by a Boston judge.

Latimer’s case forever changed Massachusetts law, and because of him and his community's resilience, they were able to turn their communal perseverance into action. By the time the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law passed, they already had “Anti-Fugitive Slave” laws in Massachusetts.

Like Latimer and his community we must persevere in our fight for individual and collective freedom. By building community, we can overcome nearly any obstacle in our fight against anti-Blackness.

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