Adam Crosswhite facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adam Crosswhite
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| Born | October 17, 1799 |
| Died | January 23, 1878 (aged 78) |
| Known for | Crosswhite Affair |
Adam Crosswhite (1799–1878) was a man who had been enslaved. He escaped to freedom using the Underground Railroad and settled in Marshall, Michigan. In 1847, people who owned enslaved people and slave catchers from Kentucky came to Michigan. They wanted to take African Americans and force them back into slavery. But the people of Marshall surrounded the Crosswhite family's house. They stopped the family from being taken. The Crosswhites then fled to Canada. Their former owner, Francis Giltner, sued the people of Marshall. He won the case and was paid for losing the Crosswhite family. After the Civil War, Adam Crosswhite returned to Marshall. He lived there for the rest of his life.
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Adam Crosswhite's Early Life
Adam Crosswhite was born into slavery on October 17, 1799. This happened in Bourbon County, Kentucky. His mother was an enslaved woman. His father was his first master. When Adam was a boy, his father gave him to his aunt, Miss Crosswhite. His aunt married Ned Stone, a harsh slave dealer. Stone later sold Adam for $200 to a man named Troutman.
When Adam was 20, he was traded to Francis Giltner of Carroll County, Kentucky. Two years later, he married a woman named Sarah. By 1844, Adam and Sarah had seven children. When Adam learned that Giltner planned to sell his oldest child, he decided to escape. He made plans to run away with Sarah and four of their children in August 1843.
The Escape to Freedom
The family traveled by boat to Madison, Indiana. There, they met people who helped them on the Underground Railroad. They traveled further north to Newport, Indiana. Quakers hid them for several days because slave catchers were close behind. A local man pretended to be a slave hunter. He offered to guide the Kentuckians to where the Crosswhite family was hiding. Instead, he led them into a thick swamp. He then made an excuse to leave them. The slave catchers got lost in the woods all night.
The Crosswhite family then split up. Sarah and two of their younger children traveled together. Adam pushed on to southern Michigan. They met up again five weeks later. They settled in Marshall, Michigan. Marshall had an African American community of about 50 people. Most of them had also fled Kentucky to escape slavery. The Crosswhites met some friends from Kentucky. Adam found a job. He bought a house on the edge of town. His children went to the local school. His fifth child was born free in Michigan.
The Attempted Recapture
Adam Crosswhite feared that his family might be captured. He made a plan with his neighbors. If his family was in danger, he would fire a single gun shot as a signal.
Francis Giltner hired Francis Troutman to find the Crosswhites. Troutman, with help from a spy, found them in Marshall on December 23, 1846. On January 26, 1847, Crosswhite was warned that his family was in danger. At 4:00 the next morning, he saw four armed men from Kentucky heading towards his house. He fired his warning shot. One of the men was Francis Troutman, Giltner's grandson. Another was David Giltner, Giltner's son. The other two men were John S. Lee and Franklin Ford. A local deputy sheriff, Harvey M. Dickson, was with the Kentuckians. He was there to make sure the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 was followed. If Giltner could prove he owned the Crosswhites, they would be returned to him.
After hearing the shot, Moses Patterson rode his horse through town. He rang his bell and shouted to warn everyone that the Crosswhites were in danger. People in Marshall woke up and headed for the Crosswhite's house.
Inside the house, Sarah was behind a barricaded door. Her children were hidden. Adam stood outside, trying to stop the slave catchers. Troutman claimed he was Giltner's agent and lawyer. He said he was allowed to take the Crosswhites back. He broke down the door of the Crosswhite's house. Troutman planned to take the whole Crosswhite family, except for the youngest child who was born free. Troutman said they first needed to meet with a local judge, Squire Sherman. There, Troutman would show proof that Francis Giltner owned the Crosswhites. Troutman stayed at the house with Crosswhite's family. Adam left to find a lawyer in the village. Troutman tried to convince Sarah to return to Kentucky. Sarah said she would rather die than give up her children.
While Adam was gone, people from Marshall started to arrive at his house. The first was an African American man named Planter Morse. He threatened to fight to save the family. When Adam returned, Morse encouraged him to resist. More Black people arrived. They threatened the Kentuckians with harm if they tried to take the Crosswhites.
The crowd grew to over 150 black and white neighbors. Later that morning, Charles T. Gorman, a successful banker, and other important citizens arrived. They came to support the Crosswhites and help solve the problem. Troutman was overwhelmed by the large number of Marshall residents. They stopped the Crosswhites from being taken. The people argued that Michigan was a free state. This was based on the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the state constitution. Some said it was the Crosswhite's God-given right to be free.
Encouraged by the crowd, Adam Crosswhite decided to have the sheriff arrest Troutman and the other Kentuckians. They were arrested for breaking into his house and causing trouble. Local lawyer John Van Arman represented the Crosswhites. He strongly criticized the slave catchers for breaking down the door, showing weapons, and trying to separate the youngest child from its family. The slave catchers were found guilty and fined $100. Troutman was to be tried in a higher court.
Francis Giltner realized he could not recapture the Crosswhite family. So, he sued the Marshall residents who protected them, including Charles T. Gorham. Giltner asked for $4,500 (equivalent to $152,204 in 2022) in damages. The case, Giltner v. Gorham et. al., began at the U.S. Circuit Court of Michigan on July 21, 1848. During the trial, Giltner's witnesses spoke about the value of the Crosswhite family members. In October 1848, Adam and Sarah Crosswhite gave their statements in Chatham. The trial was stopped because the jurors could not agree. A second trial started on November 10 of that year. This trial resulted in fines of $1,925 (equivalent to $65,109 in 2022) and other costs. However, no money was awarded for the value of the Crosswhites themselves. People who were against slavery, like Zachariah Chandler, helped pay a large part of the fine.
Life in Freedom
With help from Marshall residents, the Crosswhites were hidden. Then they were taken through the night to Jackson. They boarded a train early in the morning. George Ingersoll traveled with the family. He made sure they safely boarded the train to Detroit. Then they crossed the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario in Canada.
Adam Crosswhite and his family lived in Chatham, Ontario. Later, they moved to North Buxton. This was a final safe place for many formerly enslaved people where they could truly be free.
Later Years
The Crosswhite family returned to Marshall after the Civil War ended. Adam Crosswhite died on January 23, 1878. The Crosswhites are buried at the Oakridge Cemetery in Marshall.
Legacy of the Crosswhite Affair
The Crosswhite affair became known across the country. Groups who supported slavery called for a stricter law about runaway enslaved people. This led to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. As a result, the gap between those against slavery and those for it grew much wider. George M. Fuller wrote that this event, like the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, helped wake up the North to resist slavery. It brought together different groups into a new party, the Republican party. This party's win in 1860 and the Civil War that followed helped save the United States.
Popular Culture
- The Adam Crosswhite affair is documented at the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum in Ontario, Canada.
- A historic marker for Adam Crosswhite was placed at the site of his house 42°16′22″N 84°56′55″W / 42.27278°N 84.94861°W. It was put up in 1923 by the Calhoun County Historical Society. It says:
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- Near This Spot
- 900 Feet North, 8° East
- Stood The Cabin
- Of
- Adam Crosswhite
- The Scene Of An Attempted
- Slave Recovery
- January 26, 1847
- This Affair
- With Others Of Like Nature
- Led To The Passing Of The
- Fugitive Slave Law
- And Ultimately To
- Civil War
See Also
