Talk:Boston Vigilance Committee

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The Boston Vigilance Committee was a radical interracial group dedicated to resisting the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

Formed June 4, 1841 at the Marlboro Chapel, Hall No. 3. [1]

  • Called to order by Charles Turner Torrey, a Massachusetts Congregational minister
  • Daniel Mann was elected first chairman
  • J.P. Bishop, Secretary


Some sources and/or links:

  • [2]
  • [3]
  • [4]
  • Chapter 5 here, mentions Frederick Douglass' fiery speech at the initial meeting [5]
  • [6]
The Boston Vigilance Committee was founded in late 1842 as a result of the failed escape of slave John Torrence who was a stowaway from New Bern, North Carolina, and was not permitted to debark in Boston. Most of Boston's leading black and white abolitionists were on the committee. The records of the committee indicate that many black women and black workers, who were not committee members, aided escapees and were reimbursed for their expenses. The avowed commitment of the Vigilance Committee, influenced by the Garrisonians, to use only "legal, peaceful, and Christian methods and none other " came hard up against the Supreme Court decision in Prigg vs. Pennsylvania (1842) that the free states could not legislate to deprive a slaveowner of his property. This invalidated the North's Personal Liberty Laws and, in Boston, caused blacks to form the New England Freedom Association with the goal of continuing to aid fugitives, despite some loss of legal status.
  • [7]
  • [8] Member and abolitionist Lewis Hayden's home was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and he converted it to a fortress, threatening to blow it up if anyone attempted to take the runaways hiding there.

[edit] Article Created

I meant to add here when I created the page, but now that I have expanded the article, any further sources we have on hand would be greatly appreciated. I did not use all of the sources that someone originally posted above when they were trying to get this article started, and if you think you can work any of these in, please have at it. Hiberniantears 01:02, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

  • Additionally, the headers of the article can probably use some rethinking, and anything we can find on actual actions taken by the group are most appreciated. Hiberniantears 01:04, 23 August 2007 (UTC)
  • Sorry for another post! I'm scatter-brained tonight... User:Jjaazz added the links above. I'll check with him/her to see if I can get them involved again. Hiberniantears 01:07, 23 August 2007 (UTC)