Oberlin Wellington Rescue

A time when black men had no rights which white men

Were bound to respect

Gabrielle Moorman
Individual Exhibit
Senior Division
Process Paper Word Count 500
Exhibit Word Count 499

The Civil War has always been my favorite historical time period and I felt like a topic
surrounding the Civil War would be an interesting topic to research. My history teacher
suggested the Oberlin Wellington rescue, an incident that took place on the eve of the Civil War
and encompasses the moral and legal struggle over the rights of slaves caught in Ohio. After
some initial research, I concluded that the Oberlin Wellington rescue involved the denial of the
right to freedom and a responsibility to do what is morally, rather than legally correct.
The Town That Started the Civil War by Nat Brandt was what I chose to read to begin my
research and my history teacher has lent me several books relating to the Rescue that were very
helpful in my preliminary research. My research really began when I visited the Oberlin College
Archives; it was there I found several primary sources that gave me more insight into the heart of
the Rescue and the impact it had on higher law. There were several newspapers that covered the
trials of the Rescuers, and each newspaper gave a different look into the Rescue, the individuals
involved, and the legal rights and responsibilities that were being challenged.
Initially I wanted to create a documentary, but the ten minute time limit was simply not
enough time for me to explain the components of my topic; I chose an exhibit because I felt that
I could more thoroughly and visually explain the Oberlin Wellington rescue. Looking at my
exhibit from left to right, the left panel begins by explaining the historical context of the rescue
and what caused it. The center panel explains the heart of the topic, while the right panel
explains the impact of the rescue.
The Oberlin Wellington Rescue fits the theme, Rights and Responsibilities in History,
because the citizens of Oberlin saw it as their responsibility, despite the consequences, to rescue
a fugitive slave whose inalienable right to freedom was in jeopardy. The Fugitive Slave Law of

1850, under which the Rescuers were indicted, was an abusive use of federal power; when
hundreds of black and white citizens of Oberlin prevented the return of fugitive slave, John
Price, to Kentucky and slavery the Rescuers claimed a law higher than the Fugitive Slave Law of
1850. In the newspaper the Rescuers published while in prison they wrote, To be rescued is to
be saved, often from serious evils, and even death. Many an innocent man would have gone into
hopeless slavery, but for the timely and determined aid of some friendly rescuer. Indeed, there
is so much rescuing to be done, that we intend to spend our lives at the business. The Rescuers
clarified that their responsibility was to rescue helpless fugitive slaves and they would continue
to disobey the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 despite the consequences. The Oberlin Wellington
rescue became a lasting model for the role of civil disobedience in the protest of an unjust law.

Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
Abraham Lincoln. N.d. America's Library. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/jb/civil/jb_civil_lincoln2_1_e.jpg>.
This photograph is of the sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. During the trials of the
Rescuers, the Ohio Republican Party greatly advocated for the repeal of the Fugitive
Slave Law of 1850. Due to the Ohio Republican Party's advocacy against the Fugitive
Slave Law of 1850, the Republican candidate for President, Abraham Lincoln, won the
election in Ohio. At this time, Ohio was a swing state, which made the win very
important in the grand scheme of things. The rescue and the Ohio Republican Party's
advocacy indirectly helped Lincoln's political career.
"Amendment XIII." Blogspot. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_67jiV6CCEok/TPqTDB5yi8I/AAAAAAAAABM/XHLh37O
LBbU/s1600/13thamendment.gif>.
The thirteenth amendment accomplished everything the abolition movement had been
working for and I believe that this image illustrates how the former slaves had been in
chains but now under the thirteenth amendment are free and their chains are being
broken.
American House. N.d. 19th Century Wellington. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
<http://19thcenturywellington.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/american-house-1896.jpg?
w=625&h=332>.
This photo is of the American House, also known as the Wadsworth Hotel, which was the
initial site of the Oberlin Wellington rescue. The slave hunters chose this hotel because it
was inconspicuous, and many of the people staying there were in favor of slavery. The
slave catchers brought John Price to the hotel to await a 5:13 southbound train headed to
Maysville, Kentucky. While they were waiting at the hotel's bar, several hundred men
from Oberlin congregated outside in the streets surrounding the hotel. Fearing for their
lives, the slave catchers retreated to the attic of the hotel with Price. It was through the
little half circle at the very top of the hotel that John Price was pulled from the hands of
slave catchers, to safety and to freedom.
Bleeding Kansas. N.d. Politics of Slavery. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.politicsofslavery.zoomshare.com/files/massacre.gif>.
This illustration depicts what is now called Bleeding Kansas. When the Kansas territory
was opened to slavery by popular sovereignty under the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854,
pro-slavery and abolitionist forces rushed to Kansas to vote. Unfortunately, there was a
disagreement during the voting and each group set up their own legislatures and the
conflict that ensued was a massacre, which led to the nickname Bleeding Kansas.

Caution Runaway Slaves. N.d. Blogspot. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1qQgjXE6iY/TKLBtdAp3TI/AAAAAAAAAAU/gD1CjVSxKk4/s1600/cautionrunaway-slaves.jpg>.

This was a poster that would have been posted in the center of Boston and printed in
newspapers. It screams caution to the runaway slave residing in Boston, Massachusetts.
This poster conveys the danger of speaking to watchmen and police officers of Boston.
The poster actually accuses the watchmen and police officers of Boston of being
kidnappers and slave catchers and states that they have been empowered by the mayor to
act as such. This poster gives hope to the abolitionists that while some Northern
governments have turned their backs on runaway slaves, there are still people out there
willing to warn them.
Compromise of 1850. Map. American Civil War. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://cdn2.americancivilwar.com/americancivilwar-cdn/pictures/comp1850.jpg>.
This map displays the slave and free states at the time of the Compromise of 1850. It also
shows the territories open to slavery under the Compromise of 1850. It displays the
Southern grip of slavery that is extending across the United States.
"Constitution of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society." June 1835. Oberlin College Archives.
Electronic Oberlin Group. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/Documents/OberlinAntiSlaveryCon.htm>.
The constitution of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery Society was created in June of 1835 with
founding of the society. This document outlines the objective of the society, their reasons
for their objective, and how they plan to accomplish their objective. The objective of the
society was the immediate emancipation of the whole colored race and the elevation of
the colored race to equality with the whites. The society's reasoning for this objective is
that slavery cripples the whole nation and makes a mockery of the American
Constitution. The society plans to accomplish their objective was not through war but
rather through the use of facts and reasoning and to appeal to the minds of the slave
owners with the Gospel, as fellow Christians. The founding of the Oberlin Anti-Slavery
Society began the abolition movement in Oberlin, Ohio, and created a hotbed of antislavery activity.
Copeland. N.d. NC Civil War. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. <http://www.nccivilwar150.com/history/johna-copeland-jr.jpg>.
This photograph depicts John A Copeland Jr. Copeland was a freeborn black man that
participated in rescuing John Price, despite the potential that he could be taken into
slavery. Copeland was also one of the only three Oberlin Rescuers to participate in John
Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry.

Dred Scott. N.d. Quia. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

<http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/timdick55/causes/Dred-Scott>.
This illustration is of a slave, Dred Scott. He sued for his freedom in 1846. After eleven
years his case reached the Supreme Court. It was there that slaves were declared to be
property rather than human beings. Unfortunately, under the decision of the Court, Dred
Scott remained a slave.
Fairchild Home. N.d. Oberlin College Archive. Oberlin Archive. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/resources/photoguide/fairchild_house.jpeg>.
This photograph is of Professor James Fairchild's home, which was located on Professor
Street. After the Rescuers took John Price from the slave catchers, they brought him to
Fairchild's home. Fairchild was not an active abolitionist although he did not condone
slavery, he did not actively speak out against it; this made Fairchild's home the perfect
place to stash John Price. Because Fairchild was not a known abolitionist, no one thought
to look in his house for John Price. John Price stayed in the Fairchild's home for three
days and nights before making his way to a steamer across Lake Erie and to Canada.
Fifteenth Amendment. N.d. Flickr. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
<http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4090/5094558223_b87cb88880_z.jpg>.
This illustration depicts an African American voting, exercising his right to vote under the
Fifteenth Amendment. Although the rescue did not directly effect this amendment, it did
raise awareness and sympathy for the abolition movement, which turned public sentiment
in favor of the abolition movement. The Fifteenth Amendment and other legislation like
it were more easily and widely accepted as an effect of the rescue.
Fletcher, Robert S. A History of Oberlin College from Its Foundation through the Civil War.
N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
This section of the book, A History of Oberlin College from Its Foundation through the
Civil War, tells of the only other attempt ever made in Oberlin to retake a fugitive slave.
It was presumed to have been a peaceful rescue and eventually the slave catchers gave up
the chase. This account tells of how the fugitive slave and his wife were captured,
rescued, put in jail, and eventually escaped to Canada and freedom.
Free! N.d. Loc. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. <http://loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Images/14th.jpg>.
This illustration depicts what one can assume to be a fugitive slave who has just gained
his freedom, it is however unclear as to how he may have gained it, whether he escaped
or if it was after the thirteenth amendment and he was legally free. Regardless, this
former slave is celebrating in his freedom. I believe this illustration depicts how joyous
former slaves were to have their freedom, whether they had runaway or the thirteenth
amendment was being enacted.

"Fugitive Slave Bill." 18 Sept. 1850. Digital file.

This law, which was a result of the Compromise of 1850, made it illegal for any United
States citizen to assist in the rescue or escape of a slave and implemented severe
consequences on those who choose to ignore it. In order to understand the controversy
that came out of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, you must first understand the Fugitive
Slave Law. The Fugitive Slave Law essentially forced citizens in free states to participate
in slavery and raised a question of authority, whether the national government could force
a law such as this on free states or if a state could claim its right to self-government. The
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue was a direct consequence of the Fugitive Slave Law and
brought much attention to the issue of slavery.
Fugitive Slaves Attention. N.d. Dartmouth Library Muse. Web. 1 Feb. 2014.
<http://sites.dartmouth.edu/library/2013/08/>.
This poster would have been posted in the town center; it contains a warning to all
fugitive slaves about the danger of the slave hunter in the area. This poster conveys to
one the danger of the slaver hunters as they closed in on fugitive slaves but at the same
time displays the fight to protect fugitive slaves from capture. This poster also shows that
there is still hope for fugitive slaves because many Northerners were on the side of the
fugitive slaves and against the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
Harper's Ferry Raid. N.d. Black Past. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/John_Brown_at_Harper_s_Ferry__pu
blic_domain_.jpg>.
This illustration depicts John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. Brown's plan was to attack
and seize the federal arsenal as Harper's Ferry rather than stage guerrilla warfare from the
mountains. When he asked Fredrick Douglass what he thought, Douglass stated, "You're
walking into a perfect steel-trap, and you will never get out alive." The local militia
pinned Brown and his 22 man army down and Marines were sent in under the command
of Colonel Robert E Lee. Ten of Brown's men were killed, seven were captured, and five
escaped. By raiding the arsenal, Brown hoped to incite an insurrection among the slaves;
he wanted the slaves to fight back against their masters. Yet, when Brown came, the
slaves did not rise.
James Fairchild. N.d. Oberlin Archive. Oberlin Archives. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/James%20H.%20Fairchild.jpg>.
This photograph is of Professor James H Fairchild. When John Price was brought to him,
he did not hesitate to open his home up to hiding the fugitive slave. Fairchild hide John
Price for three days and nights and because he was not a known abolitionist no suspicion
fell on his home.

John Brown at Harper's Ferry. N.d. Timeline Writing. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://timelinewritingwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/brown_harpersferry1.jpg/220567288/brown_harpers-ferry1.jpg>.
This illustration depicts John Brown at Harper's Ferry, where he hoped to incite a
rebellion of slaves, but utterly failed. Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry is a prominent and
well known act of civil disobedience. The year before in 1858 the Oberlin Wellington
Rescue occurred, which set precedence for civil disobedience as a legal form of protest.
John Brown inspired abolitionist with his righteous indignation towards slavery. The raid
is said to have ultimately hastened civil war.
John Price. N.d. Oberlin College Archives. Electronic Oberlin Group. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/resources/order/Price.jpeg>.
This illustration is of fugitive slave, John Price. John Price escaped from his master, John
Bacon, in Maysville, Kentucky around 1856. He made his way through Ohio via the
Underground Railroad and stopped in Oberlin; he made a life for himself in Oberlin,
picking up odds jobs here and there. He lived in Oberlin for nearly two years without
attracting any attention, but on September 13, 1858 that all changed. John Price is the
reason the Oberlin Wellington rescue occurred; it was an act of civil disobedience to save
him from certain bondage.
"Lady Justice." Enhance the Human Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://enhancethehumanexperience.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/jpg_law_justice_003.jp
g>.
This image is of Lady Justice. If you notice Lady Justice has a blind fold over her eyes,
representing the idea that the court system should be color blind. The courts were not
colored blind in the case of the Oberlin Wellington rescue, nor was Judge Wilson, who
presided over the Rescuers' trials, a known white supremacist who was prejudice towards
Charles Langston. This image depicts how justice should be, color blind and fair;
however it was the opposite from the beginning of the United States up until the Civil
Rights Movement.
Lane Theological Seminary. N.d. Cincinnati Memory. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.cincinnatimemory.org/gsdl/collect/greaterc/archives/HASHa057/3aca6d90.d
ir/ocp000494pccnb.jpg>.
This illustration is of Lane Seminary. Lane Seminary was founded in Cincinnati in 1830;
it was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Within a few years of its founding, the
seminary was divided, as was the nation, over the issue of slavery. The school board
attempted to prohibit students from supporting the abolition cause in 1834. Many
students left over this and enrolled in Oberlin College, further north in Ohio. The students
that left Lane and went to Oberlin took with them the anti-slavery spirit that engulfed
Oberlin.

Langston, Charles. "Charles Langston's Speech." Charles Langston's court trial. Cuyahoga
County Courthouse, Cleveland. 12 May 1859. Oberlin through History. Ed. Gary
Kornblith. Electronic Oberlin Group, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/Default.html>.
Towards the end of Charles Langston's trial, that followed the Oberlin Wellington rescue,
he was allowed to speak on his own behalf and the words that came forth have been
deemed to be one of the great speeches about civil rights. Within Langston's speech, he
points out the injustices of the Fugitive Slave Law, he points out that blacks do not have
rights that white men must respect and that he is being denied a fundamental right (sixth
amendment). Langston moves the hearts and minds of the court with his speech and in
the conclusion of his speech; he sarcastically thanks the court for the opprtunity to speak
and says that he knows it will not change their sentence. The judge replies by saying that
Langston should believe in himself more, and the judge reduces his sentence to twenty
days in jail and a one hundred dollar fine. Langston's speech was so pivotal to the Oberlin
Wellington rescue because in the speech he outlines several rights that are being ignored
and denied to the African Americans. He also states several times, the different
responsibilities of the national government and those of the individual. Within his speech,
Langston is able to encompass the rights and responsibilites and point out injustices of
the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
Lewis Leary. N.d. Oberlin Archive. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/exhibits/john_brown/leary_lewis.jpeg>.
This is a photograph of Lewis Leary. Lewis Leary was a citizen of Oberlin and he had
taken part in the rescue of John Price. John Brown Jr. was sent to Oberlin by his father,
John Brown, to try to recruit the Rescuers to participate in the raid on Harpers Ferry. The
Rescuers said no but two of the Rescuers said yes, Lewis Leary and John Copeland. They
both participated in John Brown's raid and lived through it, but they were hung a week
after John Brown for their part in it.
Monroe, James, et al. Speech. Electronic Oberlin Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/OberlinWellington_Rescue/welcome_speeches.htm>.
These five speeches were given upon the Rescuers return home from jail. Within the
speeches the Rescuers are commended for what they had done to rescue John Price and
encouraged the citizens of Oberlin to continue in the quest that has been set before them.
It is evident through these speeches that the grip of the Federal government was closing
in on the North, and additional conflict would be coming as neither side was willing to
compromise between total freedom and uniform slavery. It is also apparent through these
speeches that the Rescuers were strong believers in God and felt His hand and favor in
their fight against slavery and for liberty.

The Oberlin Rescuers. Apr. 1859. Oberlin College Archives. Electronic Oberlin Group. Web. 15
Dec. 2013. <http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/>.
This photo is of twenty Rescuers that spent time in jail for their participation in the
Oberlin Wellington rescue. Simeon Bushnell and Charles Langston are both in the photo,
they were the only two Rescuers officially sentenced. John Watson is also in the photo, he
was the first one to arrive at the hotel where John Price had been taken; he was the one
who raised the awareness about the "kidnapping" of Price. It was Watson who initially
started the rescue. This photo contains all of the Rescuers that had played a large role in
the rescue; these were the men that really made the rescue of John Price possible.
"Oberlin's Part in the Slavery Conflict." Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. 303. Print.
This section of the book Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications, entitled Oberlin's Part
in the Slavery Conflict thoroughly explains the Oberlin Wellington rescue and the
subsequent trials. The portion that I used on my exhibit, I believe greatly explains the
sentiment of the Buchanan Administration towards the Oberlin Wellington rescue and
whether it should go unpunished or not. The reasoning of the Buchanan Administration
was that while the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 may be an unjust and immoral law, it is
still, none the less, a law of the United States and should be upheld and enforced as such.
Out of Jail! 6 July 1859. Oberlin College Archive. The Oberlin Wellington Rescue. Web. 3 Nov.
2013. <http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/wellington_rescue/rescue.html>.
Thirty-seven of the men involved in the Oberlin Wellington rescue were tried for
obstructing a slave catcher in bringing a slave back. The Rescuers, as the thirty-seven
men soon became known, spent the duration of their trials in jail rather than post bail and
spent more time in jail than they probably should have. This poster was one that declares
there will be a celebration in honor of the Resucers coming home. Twenty-three of the
twenty-four Oberlin Rescuers returned home on July 6, 1859 and were received with
great celebration as this poster suggests and Simeon Bushnell, the twenty-fourth Rescuer,
returned home July 8, 1859, due to a longer sentence, to an equally joyous celebration.
The Rescuers had disobeyed the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and the court made it very
clear that they would be punished for doing so, but as this poster suggests, the citizens of
Oberlin, Ohio believed otherwise. The citizens of Oberlin, Ohio celebrated the Rescuers
as heroes and displayed this belief by having a celebration in their honor. The Rescuers
disobeyed a national law in order to rescue a fellow human certain bondage and thought
nothing of the consequeces, by doing so they did the right thing and the citizens of
Oberlin, Ohio recognized their decision and celebrated with the Rescuers in their success.

Proclamation No. 1863. 3 C.F.R. National Archives and Records Adminstrations. Web. 6 Feb.
2014.<http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation
/transcript.html>.
The Emancipation Proclamation was a pre-cursor to the thirteenth amendment, in which
the slaves were given their freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation turned the Civil
War around in that it changed the reason for the war. At first the federal government
proclaimed that the Civil War was to preserve the Union but with the Emancipation
Proclamation Lincoln changed the reason for the war to freeing the slaves. The Oberlin
Wellington rescue raised awareness and sympathy for the abolition movement which
caused much of the North to change in their views of the slaves and to be in favor of the
abolishment of slavery. The awareness and sympathy raised for the abolition movement
by the rescue enabled the Emancipation Proclamation to be better received. I do not
believe that the Emancipation Proclamation would have been so well received without
the Oberlin Wellington rescue.
Rescuer [Cuyahoga County] 4 July 1859. Print.
While the Rescuers were in jail, they found an old printing press and received permission
to print a newspaper, they called it The Rescuers. Within The Rescuers, the Rescuers state
their opinions and mention several times that given the chance they would do the same
thing in a heartbeat. At the very beginning of the newspaper they state, "Why call your
paper by such a name? we are asked. Because we rather like the idea it conveys. To be
rescued is to be saved, often from serious evils and even death. Many an innocent man
would have gone into hopeless slavery, but for the timely and determined aid of some
friendly 'rescuer'. Indeed, there is so much 'rescuing' to be done, that we intend to spend
our lives at the business." This one statement sets the tone for the entire newspaper. The
Rescuers explain why they did what they did and that they would do it all over again if
given the chance. I believe that within this newspaper, I was able to better understand
were the Rescuers were coming from and the reason and logic behind their actions, I
think it gave me a further insight into the Rescuers.
"Resolutions Passed by the Rescuers." 6 July 1859. Electronic Oberlin Group. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.oberlin.edu/external/EOG/OberlinWellington_Rescue/jail_resolutions.htm>.
This document contains resolutions passed by the Rescuers while in jail. It stated that the
Rescuers being held in jail would be allowed to leave jail because it had been three
months and the abolitionists disagreed with the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, now more
then ever. This is significant because it showed the determination of the Rescuers and of
abolitionist around the country that was fueled by the Oberlin Wellington rescue. The
Rescuers made a point to thank those who had supported them through the trials and time
in jail, including God. They let the people know that despite the consequences they had
experienced, they would continue in their opposition towards the Fugitive Slave Law of
1850.

Roeliff Brinkerhoff. N.d. Blogger. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

<http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5619/3216/1600/433136/Brinkerhoff.jpg>.
This is a photograph of Roeliff Brinkerhoff; he was a prominent member of the Ohio
Republican party during the 1800s. The Ohio Republican party advocated for the repeal
of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 during the Rescuer trials, which played a large role in
Lincoln winning the election in 1860. Brinkerhoff stated, "Our victory in Ohio, in 1859,
made a national victory possible in 1860, and its culminating result was the election of
Abraham Lincoln as President. Brinkerhoff attributed the election of Abraham Lincoln
to the Ohio Republican party's advocacy of repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law.
Runaway Slave. N.d. Star News Daily. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.starnewsdaily.com/media/starnewsdaily/images/3aad47cb698e930288d8aca
36b9fb69f.png>.
This illustration depicts a runaway slave. I believe that this illustration does an excellent
job of showing how runaway slaves had to travel. They literally had the clothes on their
back and a few other possessions. They had to travel light in order to avoid search parties
and to be able to move quickly. It would not have been uncommon for a runaway slave to
travel with their few possessions in this manner. This illustration does a good job of
showing how little a runaway slave had, let alone any slave, and how simply they may
have lived.
Seal of the Supreme Court of the United States. N.d. Pub Record. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://pubrecord.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/supreme-court-seal.png>.
This image is of the Seal of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court
supported the federal government in the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Law. The
Supreme Court was instrumental in the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law, even
though they did not directly enforce the law itself, they did not declare it to be
unconstitutional and therefore allowing it to be enforced throughout the country. Supreme
Court Justice Roger Taney spoke for a unanimous court when he proclaimed, "The act of
Congress commonly called the fugitive slave law is, in all of its provisions, fully
authorized by the Constitution of the United States." If the abolition movement would
look to the courts in hope of suppressing the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, they would find
no support in the Supreme Court.

Slave after Flogging. N.d. Canada Alive. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

<http://canadaalive.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/cdv-of-an-escaped-slave-gordon.jpg?
w=812>.
This photograph is of a slave after a flogging. It can be assumed that this slave had
recently made an attempt to escape but was caught. Often times after recapturing a slave,
the master would have them flogged to remind them that they could not escape, that he
was in control. This photograph does an excellent job of displaying the physical mark
that such a flogging would leave, not to mention the physiological effect. This was
common practice among slave owners and shows the brutality in which the slaves were
treated.
The Slavery Question Dred Scott Decision. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Civil War Education. Web. 2 Mar.
2014.
<http://fredericksburg.com/CivilWar/Education/Definitions/a_nation_divided/Images/dre
d_scott_decision/0001.jpg>.
This pamphlet was circulated concerning the Dred Scott versus Sandford case. Dred Scott
was a slave that traveled with his master, army surgeon John Emerson, through free
states. In 1846, Scott sued for his freedom on the basis that he had lived in a free state
and free territory for a prolonged amount of time and therefore by the laws of the land
should be a free man. After eleven years, his case reached the Supreme Court. The Court
ruled that Scott's sojourn of two years in Illinois and the Northwest Territory of
Minnesota did not make him free. The Court also ruled that a black man was excluded
from United States citizenship and could not bring suit. The Court further ruled that
Congress never had the right to prohibit slavery in any territory and any van on slavery
was in direct violation of the Fifth Amendment.
Slaves on the Underground Railroad. N.d. Media Lib. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://592f46.medialib.glogster.com/media/336d973ec28b146357faa3c5520ff88f955a75
da587a94be8e0c2206974aafd9/runaway-slaves-on-underground-railroad-1.jpg>.
This illustration depicts runaway slaves escaping by moonlight. They appear to be frantic,
perhaps they were being chased. This illustration does an excellent job of displaying how
runaway slaves had to escape; they had to wait till night and used the cover of dark to get
away. Notice the male slave is carrying all the possession, again it is evident that slaves
had so little which may have made being on the move that much easier.

"The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio." Judicial Selection. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.judicialselection.us/uploads/states/OH_seal_1191255406180.jpg>.
This image is of the seal of the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio. The Supreme Court
of Ohio was as much help to the abolition movement as the Supreme Court of the United
States was. The Supreme Court of Ohio agreed with the opinion of the Supreme Court of
the United States concerning the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. If the Supreme Court of
Ohio had disagreed the Oberlin Wellington rescue trials would not have happened and
would not have gained the national focus that they did. The Oberlin Wellington rescue
would probably have passed unnoticed by the country if the Supreme Court of Ohio had
not been in favor of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
$200 Reward. N.d. Americas Library. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.americaslibrary.gov/assets/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_rail_1_e.jpg>.
This poster would have been posted in the center of the town or printed in a newspaper. It
was not uncommon for slave owners to issue rewards for recaptured slaves. I believe that
the fact that a slave owner would even offer a reward for a runaway slave proves how
important slaves were to the profit of the owner and to Southern economy.
US Const. amend. XIII, sec. 1. Legal Information Institute. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiii>.
The thirteenth amendment was passed on December 6, 1865 and stated that "neither
slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party
shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject
to their jurisdiction." This section of the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery; it was
the first in the three amendments that are now known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
This amendment accomplished everything that the abolition movement had been fighting
for since the beginning. As I said with the Emancipation Proclamation, the Oberlin
Wellington rescue created an awareness of the abolition movement and created sympathy
for the slaves among the Northerners. Due to the sympathy and awareness raised by the
rescue, I believe that it allowed the thirteenth amendment to be passed with a little more
ease and less resistance. The thirteenth amendment is everything that the Rescuers and
abolitionist had been working for.
US Const. amend. XIV, sec. 1. Legal Information Institute. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv>.
The fourteenth amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868 and was the second in the three
Reconstruction Amendments. The first section of the fourteenth amendment states, "all
persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,
are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make
or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
Untied States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of
the laws." The fourteenth amendment gave blacks their citizenship and all the rights that

are included within a citizenship, including due process. Charles Langston was denied his
due process rights and I believe that the Oberlin Wellington rescue trials showed the
injustices of how blacks were being treated in court. Bushnell, who was a white Rescuer,
had clearly had a fair trial before Langston and Langston, a black Rescuer, did not have a
fair trial, the judge, jury and prosecution were all exhibiting prejudices against him due to
the color of his skin. The fourteenth amendment would prevent something like that from
happening again. I believe that the Oberlin Wellington rescue trials made legislatures
realize that it was not enough to simply free the slaves but they must be given all the
rights entitled to an Untied States citizen including due process.
US Const. amend. XV, sec. 1. Legal Information Institute. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxv>.
The fifteenth amendment was ratified on February 3, 1870; it was the last of the three
amendments known as the Reconstruction amendments. The fifteenth amendments states,
"the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude." As I said for the fourteenth amendment, legislatures realized that it was not
enough to simply free the slaves but they must also be given all the rights entitled to an
Untied States citizen, which includes voting. Many of the Rescuers that were involved in
the Oberlin Wellington rescue were black and were prominent blacks in society (i.e.
Charles Langston and John Watson) but they were not given the rights that they deserved
due to the color of their skin. When the thirteenth amendment was passed it freed the
slaves and paved the way for slaves to receive their full rights. I believe that the Oberlin
Wellington rescue not only raised awareness for the plight of slaves but also
demonstrated that even free blacks who were prominent in society were not equal to
whites and were denied all rights.
"The Wellington Rescue Case." Oberlin Evangelist [Oberlin] 22 Dec. 1858: n. pag. Electronic
Oberlin Group. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
This newspaper article is from The Oberlin Evangelist, it is obviously a local newspaper.
It is evident in the article that the community was in favor of what the Rescuers had done.
This article gave me an insight into how the community reacted to the rescue and the
Rescuers' indictments. At the very end of the article the author states, "The gentlemen of
our community who have the honor of being indicted for 'aiding and abetting' are Prof.
H.E. Peck, J.M. Fitch, and Ralph Plumb." The author states that those men have the
honor of being indicted, which indicates that the community of Oberlin admired what the
Rescuers had done.

Secondary Sources
Am I Not a Man and a Brother? N.d. Picture History. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.picturehistory.com/images/products/0/0/6/prod_632.jpg>.
This illustration depicts a slave in chains, who looks to be begging for mercy. I believe
that this illustration does a good job of presenting that the slaves were truly at the mercy
of their masters. The banner in this illustration asks the question, "Am I not a man and a
brother? This is a valid question, by human nature a black man is just as much a man
and a brother as a white man and this illustration does a good job of depicting that
question.
Brandt, Nat. "The Rescue." The Town That Started the Civil War. New York: Bantam Doubleday
Dell, 1990. 87-111. Print.
In this book Nat Brandt was able to encompass some of the causes of the rescue, the
rescue itself, and the impact of the rescue. This book gave an idea of what the rescue was
and what I needed to focus on in my rescue. Brandt did an excellent job describing
exactly what happened and why it happened. This book is what kept me focused during
my research.
"Dred Scott Case: the Supreme Court Decision." Africans in America. PBS, n.d. Web. 2 Mar.
2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html>.
This website does a good job of explaining the Dred Scott decision and the effect it had.
In March of 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that all blacks were not and never could
become United States citizens and were not human beings but rather property. Dred Scott
had sued for his freedom back in 1846 and reached the Supreme Court in 1857, eleven
years later. He had been living in free states and territories with his master and appealed
to the Supreme Court in hopes of being granted freedom. Unfortunately, the Court's
opinion was, "[that blacks] had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and
that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was
bought and sold and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever
profit could be made by it."
Fitch, Emma Monroe. "The Wellington Rescue Case in 1858." N.d. TS.
This is an unpublished paper written by Emma Monroe Fitch, who is the daughter of one
of the Rescuers. She gives a summary of the rescue but she also tells of when her Sunday
School class went to visit the Rescuers in jail. Within this paper she also describes the
Rescuers return home and the great celebration that they had in their honor. The most
important thing that Fitch encompassed in this paper was the sentiment of the citizens of
Oberlin and how they viewed the rescue. At the end of the paper, Fitch makes a comment
that explains the immediate impact the rescue had on Oberlin and on the Abolition
movement.

"John Brown's Raid." American History Museum. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
This exhibit was a mini-exhibit found in a Civil War exhibit at the American History
Museum in Washington D.C. The exhibit displays John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, a
federal arsenal. The exhibit gives a good summary of the raid and what John Brown
hoped to achieve through the raid. Two of the Oberlin Rescuers were involved in John
Brown's raid, John A. Copeland and Lewis Sheridan Leary; it was their involvement that
linked Oberlin to the raid. Many newspapers actually accused Oberlin of supporting John
Brown and backing him, enabling the raid; this however was not the case. Oberlin had no
part in John Brown's raid and they made it clear that Copeland and Leary had acted
alone.
"Jury Box." Criminal Law Period. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
<http://criminallawperiod9.wikispaces.com/file/view/jury_box.jpg/204074294/360x283/j
ury_box.jpg>.
This is a photograph of a jury box. During the trials of the Rescuers, it was very evident
that the jury was bias and prejudice. Charles Langston, a black schoolteacher, gave an
eloquent speech just before he was sentenced in which he stated that he was not tried by
an impartial jury or by a jury of his peers. Langston made it clear to everyone present at
his trial that he had not had a fair trial based on the fact that he had been denied an
impartial jury; he had been denied a fundamental right, the 6th Amendment.
Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854. Map. Columbia. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/foner/civil_war/week3-second_party/Week
%203%20-%20Kansas-Nebraska%20Act.jpg>.
This map depicts the free and slave states during the 1850s. It also shows the territories
opened to slavery by popular sovereignty under the Compromise of 1850 and under the
Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854. This map shows the widespread grip of slavery over much
of the United States.
Lubet, Steven. "The Oberlin Fugitive Slave Rescue: A Victory for the Higher Law." Diss.
Scholarly Commons. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
<http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/facultyworkingpapers/22/>.
This article tells the story of the Oberlin Wellington rescue and the subsequent trials in
federal court. After the Rescuers had rescued John Price by force, the pro-slavery
Buchanan administration could not ignore the outright violation of the Fugitive Slave Act
of 1850 and chose to indict thirty seven Rescuers. One of the two Rescuers brought to
trial in Cleveland, was Charles Langston. Charles Langston was a free black man and
was one of the most prominent African-American leaders in Ohio. Charles Langston was
convicted but defied the court by announcing that he would continue to defy the Fugitive
Slave Act of 1850 to defend the God given rights of every fugitive slave despite the
consequences of the court. It was during Charles Langston's trial that "higher law" was
used as a legal defense which in turn set the stage for a confrontation between legality
and morality.

Missouri Compromise. Map. Mrkash. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.

<http://mrkash.com/activities/images/MissouriCompromisemap.jpg>.
This map depicts free states and slave states in the 1850s. It also depicts territories closed
to slavery and opened to slavery by the Missouri Compromise. The Missouri
Compromise created a 36 30 line, which that any territory above it was closed to slavery
and anything below it was open to slavery. The Missouri Compromise was later declared
unconstitutional during the Dred Scott versus Sandford case. The Kansas Nebraska Act of
1854, later opened the territory north of the 36 30 line to slavery, thus erasing all
evidence of the Missouri Compromise.
Monument to Wellington Rescue. N.d. Flickr. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/royluck/7379406206/lightbox/>.
This monument is located in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park near the Harper's Ferry
monument in Oberlin. This monument honors all of the Rescuers, and due to the
existence of the monument it is evident that the Rescuers had an impact in Oberlin
history. The inscription on the monument reads, "With their comrades in the abolitionist
cause, they kindled hopes of freedom for us all. this inscription really sums up exactly
what the rescue was all about.
Routes of the Underground Railroad 1830 to 1865. Map. 1898. Learn NC. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/05/underground_railroad_map.jpg>.
This map shows the routes of the Underground Railroad beginning in 1830 and going till
the end of the Civil War in 1865. On this map, Ohio is in the middle of the Underground
Railroad; Ohio, at that time, was a free state and was a border state with Kentucky and
Virginia, both slave states, and it sat on Lake Erie. Ohio was an ideal state to bring
fugitive slaves through that wanted to head to Canada to start a new life. Once Ohio
became an important part of the Underground Railroad, Oberlin did too. This map shows
that Oberlin was in the midst of the Underground Railroad, loads of slaves came through
Oberlin on their way to Canada and Oberlin became a well - known stop on the
Underground Railroad.
United States. United States Supreme Court. Dred Scott Decision. Washington: GPO. Kayes
Scholer. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
<http://mobile.kayescholer.com/news/firm_news/2007017_extras/docs/03_extras/pics/06.
jpg>.
The Dred Scott decision was pivotal in the events leading up to the Civil War. The Dred
Scott decision basically stated that slaves were property rather than people and did not by
effect have United States citizenships and any attempt by Congress to ban slavery would
be in violation of the Fifth Amendment. The Chief Justice, Roger B Taney, was a former
slave owner, as were four other Southern justices. The two dissenting justices were the

only Republicans on the Court. The North essentially refused the decision because it was
dominated by "Southern fire-eaters".
U.S. History. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/31a.asp>.
This website does a good job of explaining the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 and how it
affected the nation. After the Kansas Nebraska Act was passed, pro slavery and
abolitionist forces rushed in to settle Kansas to affect the outcome of the election to
determine whether it would be a free or slave state. Violence broke out between the two
groups and each set up its own legislature, the United States government did not
recognized Kansas as a state until January 29, 1861 when Kansas was admitted to the
Union as a free state.