48 Facts About Anthony Burns

1.

Anthony Burns was an African-American man who escaped from slavery in Virginia in 1854.

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2.

Anthony Burns was frequently hired out by his master and learned to read and write in his various assignments.

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3.

The Fugitive Slave Act was despised and fiercely resisted in Boston, and Anthony Burns's case attracted national publicity, including large demonstrations, protests, attacks, and violence.

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4.

Federal troops were used in the city to ensure Anthony Burns was transported without interference to a ship sailing to Virginia post-trial.

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5.

Anthony Burns was eventually ransomed from slavery, with his freedom purchased by Boston sympathizers.

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6.

Anthony Burns's mother was enslaved by John Suttle, who died shortly after Anthony's birth.

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7.

Anthony Burns's mother was a cook for the Suttle family and had 13 children in total, with Anthony being her youngest.

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8.

Anthony Burns's father was rumored to be a free man and supervisor for a quarry in Virginia, who later died from stone dust inhalation.

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9.

Anthony Burns did not see her for two years, when Mrs Suttle went to collect the revenue from her being hired out as a laborer.

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10.

Anthony Burns looked after his niece so that his sister was available for labor, and stayed at the House of Horton where his sister lived and worked.

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11.

At the age of 7, Anthony Burns was hired out to three single women to work for $15 a year.

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12.

Anthony Burns's jobs included running necessary errands and collecting their weekly supply of cornmeal from the nearby mill.

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13.

At the age of 8, Anthony Burns went to work for $25 a year and was again offered a chance to learn.

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14.

Anthony Burns worked in this capacity for two years and left due to poor treatment.

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15.

Anthony Burns's wife was extremely kind to Anthony and he stayed there for two years, earning Suttle a total of $100.

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16.

Under Brent's supervision, Anthony Burns learned about a land up North where black people were not enslaved.

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17.

Anthony Burns refused to remain under Brent's employment for a third year, although Suttle was satisfied with this position.

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18.

Anthony Burns entered the hiring ground to find a new master under a lease hire arrangement.

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19.

Anthony Burns was discharged because of the injury and was returned to live with Suttle as he recovered.

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20.

Simultaneously, Millerism was introduced to his small county in Virginia, and Anthony Burns was excited by the religious fervor that spread like wildfire.

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21.

However, after Anthony Burns returned to his employment under Foote, Suttle gave Anthony Burns permission to get baptized.

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22.

Two years later, Anthony Burns was given the chance to preach to a group of church members and appointed as a preacher at this church.

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23.

Anthony Burns used this new position to preach exclusively to assemblies of enslaved persons, although Virginia nominally required all-black congregations to be supervised by a white minister.

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24.

Additionally, Anthony Burns performed marriages and funerals for enslaved persons as a preacher.

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25.

Anthony Burns finished his year of service and was hired by a new master in Falmouth, Virginia, where his church was located.

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26.

Anthony Burns was treated horribly by that man, so he refused to remain with the lessee after his year of service was completed.

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27.

Anthony Burns met a fortune teller who promised him freedom within the next few months.

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28.

Millspaugh quickly realized that he did not have enough work for Anthony Burns to earn a profit on him, so he set Anthony Burns out into the city to work small jobs and earn money for him.

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29.

In one of their biweekly meetings, Anthony Burns gave Millspaugh $25 as his earnings that month, and after being presented with such a large sum, his master required Anthony Burns to visit him daily.

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30.

Anthony Burns refused and walked out on his master without his consent, thus making his escape much more pressing than it would have been if he had had two weeks to plan and execute it.

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31.

Anthony Burns devised a plan with a sailor friend he met during his work on a vessel in the harbor, and one morning in early February 1854, Anthony Burns boarded the vessel that would take him to the North.

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32.

Anthony Burns left Richmond, Virginia one early February morning in 1854.

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33.

Anthony Burns's friend stowed him away in a small compartment on the ship, and Anthony immediately fell asleep after days of anxious and long nights.

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34.

At first, Anthony Burns found a job as a cook on a ship, but was dismissed after one week since he could not make his bread rise.

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35.

However, Anthony Burns only enjoyed one month of freedom in this capacity before being arrested.

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36.

Anthony Burns's goal was to make a peaceful arrest in order to not incite mob violence and have the mob rescue Burns before he could be returned to the South.

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37.

Anthony Burns, knowing he was innocent of that crime, complied with Butman and peacefully walked with him to the courthouse.

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38.

At the courthouse, Burns expected to be confronted by the jewelry store owner, but was instead met with U S Marshal Freeman.

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39.

Suttle asked Anthony to write a letter proving the contrary, but Leonard Grimes, a Boston clergyman and abolitionist, had Burns destroy the letter after seeing it as evidence to be used against him in the trial.

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40.

Anthony Burns' trial was the last rendition hearing for a fugitive slave in Massachusetts.

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41.

Anthony Burns had as few as 75 slaves on his plantation and as many as 150 slaves at other times.

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42.

Anthony Burns was employed to be McDaniel's coachman and stable-keeper, which was a relatively light workload compared to that of other slaves on the plantations.

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43.

Anthony Burns even held illegal religious meetings for his fellow slaves.

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44.

The overseer on the plantation resented Anthony Burns getting such special treatment, and threatened him with a pistol during one of their quarrels.

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45.

Anthony Burns reported only to McDaniel as his supervisor and recognized only his orders.

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46.

Anthony Burns was a known abolitionist who had spent his life helping fugitive slaves escape from Washington, D C Later he built the Church of Fugitive Slaves in Boston.

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47.

Anthony Burns spent his first night as a free man in Philadelphia.

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48.

Anthony Burns entered a seminary in Cincinnati to continue religious studies.

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