Shadrach Minkins: From Fugitive Slave to Citizen (Hardcover)

by Gary L. Collison (Author)
Key Phrases: other black refugees, militia petition, fugitive slave cases, Shadrach Minkins, Fugitive Slave Law, Vigilance Committee (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
An impressive feat of detective work lies behind this portrait of Shadrach Minkins, the first black man arrested in New England under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Minkins had escaped from slavery in Virginia and come to Boston, where he was arrested in February 1851. Before his case could come to trial, however, a group of black citizens invaded the courtroom and spirited Minkins away. Thereafter, except for scattered newspaper accounts and anecdotes, Minkins was lost to history. In uncovering evidence that Minkins settled in Montreal, where he helped establish a community of blacks who fled slavery, author Gary Collison restores Minkins and paints a fascinating portrait of those troubled times.

From Library Journal
Collison (English, Pennsylvania State Univ.) offers an interesting account of the life of a slave who ran away to Boston in search of freedom and was then entrapped by the Compromise of 1850. The author provides insight into the day-to-day life of a slave in Norfolk, Virginia, as a fugitive in Boston, and, finally, as a citizen in Montreal, Canada. While Minkins himself left no account, Collison bases his work on records relating to his subject and his movements. The author conveys the political ramifications of the Fugitive Slave Law and the reactions of the black community of Boston, the abolitionists of New England, and individual slaves to the problems of returning runaway slaves to the South. Collison's work should be required reading for anyone interested in African American history, especially during Black History month.?W. Walter Wicker, Louisiana Technological Univ., Ruston
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (February 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674802985
• ISBN-13: 978-0674802988
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,084,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent historical overview through one slave's history, February 15, 1999

By A Customer

Shadrach who?? This book provides amazing insight into the experiences of an unlikely hero whose story should be taught in grade school. A terrific amount of information condensed into a readable, enjoyable package--I can not imagine how difficult it must have been for the author to gather such little-known information. I only regret that I hadn't known the book or its main character years ago.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great - would make a great movie or tv special., August 3, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Wichita, Kansas) - See all my reviews

It's hard to imagine how much work went into the research of this book. To find the details and documentation is mind consuming. The story puts flesh and blood onto a part of history that was forgotten and lived only in bits and pieces. Truly the work of a dedicated individual.