First Unitarian Congregational Society Brooklyn

“But many of our Unitarian ancestors, the visionaries of our movement, believed that we must fight for the rights of the oppressed. These are the Unitarians that represent the ideals of our tradition and the ones we can follow today in our work for racial justice. In the Spring of 1854, in the streets of Boston, some Unitarians were breaking down doors and risking being shot to protest slavery and fight for the rights of Anthony Burns, a fugitive slave,. Spiritually, at least, they were led by such eminent 19th century Unitarian clergy as Theodore Parker, Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Samuel May.             Newcomers to Unitarian Universalism are sometimes amazed to discover the great figures in our history—one learns of such nineteenth-century American giants as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Greenleaf Whittier, Margaret Fuller, Theodore Parker, Bronson Alcott and Julia Ward Howe. Making the argument that he needed time to prepare a plea for the prisoner, Dana convinced the U.S. Commissioner to grant him a two-day stay. In fact, there was no such thing as a “plea” for the prisoner, who was not being charged with a crime. The Fugitive Slave Law allowed owners to claim their property in a summary proceeding, merely by identifying their “property” and presenting proof of ownership. Dana was trying to turn this into a contest based on a claim that Anthony Burns was a citizen of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Boston Vigilance Committee met and debated whether to storm the Courthouse or to let the hearing proceed. The local U.S. Commissioner called the two sides together and wrote out an agreement. Suddenly, one of Suttle’s lawyers raised an objection: it was illegal under Massachusetts law to sell a slave in the state. The slave owner had obviously changed his mind. The hearing resumed on Monday and continued through Wednesday. Huge crowds gathered in Court Square each day. After the U.S. Commissioner rendered his decision against Anthony Burns, state and federal troops escorted Burns, in hand irons, through the city to a U.S. Navy ship that was to carry him back to Virginia.  Newspapers reported that all businesses were closed, that “the city was draped in mourning” and that nearly 50,000 people lined the streets, assailing the grim procession with shouts of ‘Kidnapper” “Slave Catcher! Shame! Shame”. Outrage swept New England.”

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