Artwork
An artist's rendition of Anthony Burns and Thomas Sims, both forced to return to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. However, this image is not based on a true event, as Burns and Sims were not arrested nor sent to the South at the same time. Sims was arrested in 1851, while Burns was captured 3 years later. It more so represents the people the Fugitive Slave Act affected and the response it garnered. 1897.
Under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, local authorities were authorized to act as federal marshals and arrest Black men and women. They would stand trial to determine their status as a slave and, if found to be a “runaway,” would be sent to the South into slavery, whether they were free or not. Southern slave catchers also came North to seek a client’s supposed “runaway slave.” Thomas Sims and Anthony Burns were arrested in 1851 and 1854 respectively. In both cases, the court ruled that they were indeed runaway slaves and ordered them to be returned to enslavement. No attempts were made to forcibly free Sims, which disappointed many Boston abolitionists. This lack of action led to a violent reaction when Burns was arrested, as a riot broke out to attempt to free him. The artist here took clear artistic liberty, as Burns and Sims were not arrested at the same time and likely never crossed paths.
