Ephemera
This broadside was published by abolitionist leaders and posted around Boston to call citizens to a meeting at Faneuil Hall to discuss the arrest of Anthony Burns. Their view of the Fugitive Slave Act is clear, as instead of referring to Burns as a runaway slave, the abolitionists called the slave catcher a kidnapper. 1854.
In May of 1854, Anthony Burns sought freedom from enslavement in Boston, Massachusetts. Slave catchers arrested him under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. In response, abolitionists, such as the Boston Vigilance Committee, called for a meeting at Faneuil Hall to discuss what actions should be taken to secure Burns’ freedom. This meeting included both white and Black Bostonians, gathering to voice their discontent for both slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act. While leaders like Theodore Parker spoke of liberty and freedom, others such as Lewis Hayden dismissed this meeting to determine what direct action could be taken. It was this meeting at Faneuil Hall that spurred the public on to attack the Boston courthouse in an attempt to free Burns, which ultimately failed.
