Newport Fugitive Slave Rescue - Newport PA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 40° 28.601 W 077° 07.963
18T E 319217 N 4482851
In July 1841, three Md. slaves, Alick, Tom, and Ben, were pursued to Newport by bounty hunters. While Ben drowned as he attempted to cross the Juniata River, the other two were captured.
Waymark Code: WM12CBW
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 04/26/2020
Views: 1
Newport Fugitive Slave Rescue-In July 1841, three Md. slaves, Alick, Tom, and Ben, were pursued to Newport by bounty hunters. While Ben drowned as he attempted to cross the Juniata River, the other two were captured. Several Newport citizens aided the fugitives’ escape, and in 1842 six of them were fined in a federal court for their actions. The event is an example of growing tensions between the North and the South prior to the Civil War that led to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.
Address:
at Lutheran church, Market St. (Rt. 34) at 4th St
Newport, PA USA
17074
Site Details: None
Open to the public?: Public
Name of organization who placed the marker: Pennsylvania Historical Commission
Web site: Not listed
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