Monica Beaujon
Dr. Coronado
ENGL 328
30 October 2016
Abolitionism
in Wisconsin
Because
slavery affected generations of lives, it is an enormous aspect of nineteenth
century American history. Through the help of abolitionists, many slaves
managed to escape slavery and make their way to the northern states or Canada.
These journeys north often required fugitive slaves to travel enormous
distances each day, relying on a network of abolitionist homes and churches for
shelter. John Nelson Davidson, a pastor who was interested in the history of
Wisconsin, wrote Negro Slavery in
Wisconsin and the Underground Railroad—a book that gives a variety of stories
about the Underground Railroad and describes the many ways that abolitionists
helped fight slavery. The book illuminates the journeys of individual slaves
and abolitionists whose stories often go unmentioned when studying the
Underground Railroad. Because
Davidson’s book illustrates the personal struggles that fugitive slaves faced,
as well as the reasons and ways that abolitionists helped end slavery, it
provides a unique perspective on slaves’ fight for freedom and thus is
deserving of being included in the nineteenth century American canon.
In
addition to his manuscript on the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin, John
Nelson Davidson wrote articles and poems about the history of Wisconsin. Despite
all his writing about Wisconsin, John Nelson Davidson was born in Galena,
Illinois in 1848. Shortly after he was born, his parents moved to Jamestown,
Grant County. Davidson studied at Doane College and eventually earned his
master’s degree at Beloit College. Before becoming a pastor in November of
1888, he worked as a librarian and instructor at the first college he attended,
Doane College. While working as a pastor, one of the places he lived was
Milwaukee. His interest in the history of Wisconsin is evident in the numerous
articles and books he wrote about it, such as The Unnamed Wisconsin, published in 1895, or “The First Temperance
Reformer in Wisconsin,” published in 1891. In addition to articles and books,
he wrote poems, which were published in various Madison newspapers. In 1943—a
couple years before his death—he left Madison and traveled to Nebraska, where
his relatives lived (“John”).
Davidson’s
book Negro Slavery in Wisconsin and the
Underground Railroad was published in 1897 by the Parkman Club, in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As Davidson himself explains in the first few pages of
his book, “the history of Negro slavery in Wisconsin is not fully told in the
preceding Parkman Club paper of that name. Not only have we additional facts in
regard to certain individual masters and slaves therein mentioned; we have also
some other instances of slavery and several of emancipation.” Through this
passage, it is clear that the Parkman Club hadn’t previously published much
specific information about slavery in Wisconsin, which Davidson was compelled
to write about and share. The Parkman Club was founded in December of 1895,
just a couple years before the publication of Davidson’s book; the club’s
purpose was to share the history of the Northwest (Gregory). Davidson’s book is
essentially his attempt to fill the gap in information about Underground
Railroad in Wisconsin; and since his book mentions many clergymen and churches
involved in abolitionism, it is likely that his being a reverend helped him
gather information about this network of abolitionists.
As previously mentioned, many of the abolitionists that
Davidson’s book describes were clergymen, like Davidson himself; and one of
these clergymen, Father Clary of the Congregational Church of Beloit, gave
specific advice for defeating slavery. His advice included ending all support
for slavery, voting for candidates who opposed slavery, choosing not to accept
others who uphold slavery, and not discriminating against African Americans. Another
abolitionist associated with the church was Deacon James Bennett McCord, of the
Platteville Congregational Church. These clergymen worked together to provide
shelter for slaves, and help end the institution itself. As Father Clary
stated, “The guilt of slavery . . . lay upon the North as well as upon the
South” and that “Christianity and pure abolition principles are one in moral
character” (Davidson). Because the North shared the blame of slavery, many
Northerners went to great lengths to help slaves reach safety. The churches in
Wisconsin agreed that just being against slavery was not enough; people had to
take action. Abolitionists took action by sheltering fugitive slaves and
helping them navigate the Northern states. The moral principle behind
abolitionism is what upheld the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin, making it a
reliable network of abolitionist shelters. The Northern churches served as
opponents to the political realm of the South, creating a deep conflict between
Northern morals and Southern law.
Throughout
his book, Davidson describes the appearances and behaviors of the fugitive
slaves he’d met or heard about; and through these descriptions, he sheds light
on the anxieties that accompanied their journeys north. One of the stories he
describes is something a little girl, whose parents were abolitionists, told
him; and it was because her family experienced this that they decided to become
abolitionists. They heard “a woman sobbing and moaning bitterly, and the voices
of children crying, as they were being driven rapidly down the valley towards
the [Mississippi] river” (Davidson). Through this girl’s experience, it is clear
what might have spurred some Americans to become abolitionists: experiencing
firsthand the struggles of fugitives. As the quote suggests, fugitive slaves
were of all different ages—adults, teenagers, children. Sometimes they traveled
in groups, but other times they were alone. For example, in one of the other
stories, the book describes a slave girl “looking at them anxiously, and with
an expression of terror that I can never forget” (Davidson). Aside from the
abolitionist, Ezra Mendall, who was helping her escape, she didn’t have anybody
traveling with her—no family, no other fugitives. Under those circumstances,
she was understandably afraid. Davidson’s description of her fear shows how
difficult a journey this was, despite the network of support.
Because
so many of the abolitionists were involved in the churches, they relied on each
other for sheltering the fugitives who they were helping escape slavery; this
network of religious abolitionists helped form the backbone of the Underground
Railroad in Wisconsin. One of the other stories in Davidson’s book mentions an
18-year-old slave girl who was traveling with the abolitionist Deacon Ezra
Mendall. Mendall brought her to the home of Reverend Solomon Ashley Dwinnell,
explaining that the girl was “hotly pursued, and a large reward is offered, and
many are out hunting for her” (Davidson). Mendall asked Dwinnell to shelter her
during the day to prevent her from being caught. Because abolitionists were
able to rely on other clergymen to shelter slaves, they were much less likely
to be caught on their journeys north. Despite the benefits of this network of
abolitionists, it did not always lessen fugitives’ anxiety about being caught. After
the girl was brought to Dwinnells’ home, she asked, “Are you leaving me
with friends? Am I safe here?” (Davidson). Even though the abolitionists could
trust each other, the fugitives could not. Fugitives had no way of knowing if
they were in good hands. They were periodically left in strangers’ homes, with
no certainty about their own futures.
Wisconsin
was a place that people traveled to if they opposed slavery; it was an area where
abolitionists could gather and find ways of ending slavery. As the book states,
for those who made homes in the north, “abhorrence of slavery was a religious
principle. Some of these men were the founders of Wisconsin” (Davidson). Because
the rejection of slavery was a “religious principle,” it makes sense that many
of the abolitionists in Wisconsin were involved in churches. Wisconsin even had
places called “abolition holes,” where large numbers of abolitionists lived,
such as a town called Prairieville. Another town in Wisconsin, called
Platteville, was termed the “Abolition Hollow” (Davidson). This was where the
abolitionist Deacon James Bennett McCord, originally from Georgia, settled, and
other abolitionists followed. However, safety for slaves was not guaranteed if
they stayed in Wisconsin, or in any of the northern states; as a result, many
abolitionists’ goal was to help fugitive slaves reach Canada. The text
describes the story of one abolitionist, Mr. Goodnow, who was helping a
fugitive slave reach safety: “In Wisconsin or in the United States, there was
no lasting safety for the fugitive. Accordingly, the Abolitionists who knew of
the case made up a purse for traveling expenses, and sent Mr. Goodnow to take
the fugitive to Canada” (Davidson). Taking fugitives to Canada was particularly
necessary when there were a lot of people looking for them. Though Wisconsin
was largely against the institution of slavery, it was still not a safe haven
for escaped slaves. Because the abolitionists “made up a purse” for traveling
expenses, this shows that monetary help was another form of supporting
fugitives.
John
Nelson Davidson’s book Negro Slavery in
Wisconsin and the Underground Railroad provides detailed accounts of the
network of abolitionists in Wisconsin, as well as the emotions and struggles of
slaves who sought safety. Because churches were heavily intertwined with
abolitionism in the North, moral principles were strong motivators for
maintaining the Underground Railroad in Wisconsin; and the abolitionists of
Davidson’s book were primarily clergymen, many of whom lived in abolition
holes. Though many of the founders and settlers of Wisconsin were anti-slavery,
Wisconsin still was not a place that provided lasting safety for fugitive
slaves. Because Davidson’s book gives a plethora of details about the journeys
of slaves and abolitionists passing through Wisconsin, it is an important
addition to the history of slavery, and thus deserves to be included in the
nineteenth century American canon.
Works
Cited
Davidson,
John Nelson. Negro Slavery in Wisconsin and the Underground Railroad.
Milwaukee: Parkman Club, 1897. Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin
Historical Society. Web.
Gregory, John G. “The Parkman Club.” The
Wisconsin Magazine of History, Mar. 1928, pp. 309–319. Web.
"John N.
Davidson Papers, 1842-1942." University of Wisconsin Digital
Collections. Wisconsin Historical Society, n.d. Web.
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