Anthony Burns' Path to Freedom

Anthony Burns was born in 1834. From the day he was born, he was the property of John Suttle of Virginia. His entire family was also property of Mr. Suttle. At around the age of 10, Anthony began entertaining thoughts of freedom. He learned to read and write. He even became a preacher among the slaves. When he got older, his master allowed him to work odd jobs away from the home in exchange for part of his wages.

In 1854, at the age of 20, Anthony Burns found himself working on the coast in Richmond, Virginia. It was then that he decided to make a daring move. With the help of a friend, he hid on a ship that was bound for Boston. He stayed in an uncomfortably small hiding place for three weeks. His friend slipped him a small amount of food every few days. It must have been nearly unbearable, but Anthony persevered. In March, Anthony made his appearance in Boston.

Once in Boston, Anthony Burns began working for a man named Lewis Hayden. Lewis Hayden may not have known about Anthony's fugitive status, but he was an abolitionist who had no qualms about hiring a black man. It was not long before Anthony made the mistake of writing to his brother, who was still a slave of John Suttle's son, Charles. In May, Charles arrived in Boston to retrieve Anthony Burns.

Authorities thought that Anthony would put up a fight if he knew his master was in Boston. To avoid this, they told him he was under arrest for theft. Burns knew he was innocent and came willingly. Later, he discovered the real reason they held him at the Boston Courthouse.

Four years before Anthony Burns was arrested in Boston, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. This act made it difficult for the slavery free states to assist runaway slaves. Anyone assisting a runaway slave could be heavily penalized. Therefore, authorities in Boston had little choice but to discover if the man they had in their custody was Anthony Burns, and, if so, to return him to his owner. Nonetheless, there many dedicated abolitionists and free blacks in Boston who were willing to stand up for Anthony.

Two meetings were assembled by abolitionists and free blacks - one at Faneuil Hall and the other at the Tremont Temple. The result of both meetings was a march on the courthouse where they were keeping Anthony Burns. The first group to arrive - the blacks from the Tremont Temple - began attacking the courthouse and trying to enter with a battering ram. Witnesses say that the second group stood off to the side and did not appear to have a plan of action. In the end, roughly 2,000 citizens assembled there.

During the chaos of the haphazard rescue attempt, a deputy was stabbed and subsequently died. Thirteen people were arrested. They were unable to free Anthony Burns, but one must wonder what he was thinking when so many people showed up to defend him. Having grown up a slave in slave state, he was more likely to have seen gatherings of people calling for the punishment of slaves rather than their freedom. Despite the best efforts of his advocates, he was tried and found to be a fugitive slave.

A federal ship was commissioned for the task of returning Anthony Burns to Virginia. Once there, he was placed in jail, where he languished for some months. After his stint in jail, he was sold to David McDaniel of North Carolina. On February 22, 1855, Anthony's way to freedom was paid with money collected by Reverend Leonard A. Grimes. His master had agreed to a sum of 1,300 dollars. Anthony returned to Boston before setting out to travel, learn and preach as a free man.

Sources

Anthony Burns Captured, retrieved 12/6/10, pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2915.html

The "Trial" of Anthony Burns", retrieved 12/6/10, masshist.org/longroad/01slavery/burns.htm