User:Msamuels63/Sandbox

William Parker (Christiana Resistance) a former slave from Roedown Plantation (Anne Arundel County, Maryland), was an anti-slavery activist and a principal character in the events of September 11, 1851 in Christiana, PA that resulted in the death of a Maryland slaveowner (Edward Gorsuch) and that brought the attention of the country to the perils and challenges of attempting to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Some historians have said that the shots in Christiana were the first shots of the Civil War that occured some 10 years later.

Early Life
Parker himself was an escaped slave. He was born on Roedown Plantation in Anne Arundel County, Maryland to Louisa Simms. Louisa died when Parker was very young. Parker in his own account of his life indicated that he learned how to fight as a young boy where he had to fight for a spot by the fire against older boys. He thought often of being free especially as he was quite disturbed by the regular sale and separation of family members. Although the slave owners in Maryland were known to be kinder than those further south, Parker likened the experience to a funeral as loved ones were often never seen again. William was approximately seventeen when he ran away to seek his freedom.

A Free Man
Parker eventually makes his way to the free state of Pennsylvania and settles in Christiana, PA where he meets and marries Eliza Ann Elizabeth Howard. After being inspired by speeches by Franklin Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, Parker helped to form (and in some records is said to have lead) a mutual protection society. Christiana was not far across the Maryland border and slave catchers would often come into the area looking for escaped slaves to return to their slaveholders. They were paid handsomely for their services and in some cases would capture freed blacks as well. Members of the mutual protection society were well known for using whatever force necessary to prevent the recapture of blacks in the area. They had a great intelligence network to know when slave catchers were about and would readily spring into action to retrieve any captives before they could be taken back across state lines.

The Resistance at Christiana
One such incident of resistance occured on September 11, 1851 when a slaveholder from Maryland (Edward Gorsuch) came bearing a warrant to recover his slaves. Gorsuch had information that his slaves were at Parker's farmhouse. Parker had received intelligence that Gorsuch, a federal marshall and others were on their way to his farmhouse. So when Gorsuch arrived Parker and his cohorts were prepared. Eliza, Parker's wife, sounded a horn alerting neighbors that slave catchers were out and that help was needed. Both sides were resolute in their determination to prevail - Parker convinced of the immorality of slavery - Gorsuch confident in the law and his right to own slaves. There are conflicting stories of why and how the shooting started but in the end Gorsuch was dead and his son (Dickinson) severely wounded.

A group of 38 men (including 4 white Quakers) were arrested and held for treason for their defiance of a federal order. The one man (Castner Hanway) charged with treason as a test case was found not guilty. The charges were difficult to prove and all were eventually released. 38 MEN ACCUSED OF TREASON 1. Castner Hanway. 20. Collister Wilson. 2. Joseph Scarlet. 21. John Jackson. 3. Elijah Lewis. 22. William Brown. 4. James Jackson. 23. Isaiah Clarkson. 5. George Williams. 24. Henry Simms. 6. Jacob Moore. 25. Charles Hunter. 7. George Reed. 26. Lewis Gates. 8. Benjamin Johnson. 27. Peter Woods. 9. Daniel Caulsberry. 28. Lewis Clarkson. 10. Alson Pernsley. 29. Nelson Carter. 11. William Brown, 2nd. 30. William Parker. 12. Henry Green. 31. John Berry. 13. Elijah Clark. 32. William Berry. 14. John Holliday. 33. Samuel Williams. 15. William Williams. 34. Josh Hammond. 16.Benjamin Pindergast	35. Henry Curtis. 17. John Morgan. 36. Washington Williams 18. Ezekiel Thompson. 37. William Thomas 19. Thomas Butler. 38. Nelson Ford.

William Parker went into hiding that fateful evening. Using the underground railroad he later made his way to Rochester, NY where Frederick Douglass assisted him into Canada. He, his wife Eliza and their three children eventually found their way to a black settlement in Buxton, Ontario where they purchased a 50 acre lot of land, had more children and lived free.