Blackburn Riots facts for kids

The Blackburn riots happened in the summer of 1833 in Detroit, Michigan. These events were the first major conflicts of their kind in the city's history. They started because Thornton Blackburn and Rutha Blackburn, an African-American couple, were arrested. They had escaped slavery in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1831.

After being caught by slave catchers, the Blackburns were put in jail. They were ordered to be sent back to their former owners in Kentucky. This decision made many African Americans in Detroit very angry. Rutha Blackburn was secretly helped out of jail by two African-American women. The next day, a large crowd gathered outside the jail. They demanded that Thornton be set free. When their demand was refused, the crowd became violent. They stormed the jail, fought with the authorities, and took Thornton away. Thornton was then taken to Canada, where he met up with Rutha.

The unrest in Detroit continued into July. White residents, upset by the Blackburns' escape, reacted by attacking African Americans in the streets. They also burned down many of their buildings. The situation became very serious when the jail and nearby stables were set on fire on July 11 and 15. The mayor had to call in soldiers to bring back order to the city by July 30. After these events, new city rules were put in place. One rule required every African-American resident to pay a $500 bond. This led to most of Detroit's African-American population moving to Canada.

The Story of Thornton and Rutha Blackburn

Thornton and Rutha Blackburn lived as enslaved people in Louisville, Kentucky, in the early 1800s. This was a time when opinions about slavery were changing a lot. There were strong disagreements between the northern and southern states. In the 1700s, slave owners in the South often said they cared for their enslaved people. They claimed they tried not to separate families when selling them.

However, the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 changed everything. It made the slave industry grow very quickly. States like Kentucky and Maryland, which were on the border between North and South, could earn a lot of money. They did this by selling enslaved people to the growing plantations in the Deep South. This meant that families were often broken apart. Because of the high risk of being separated, many enslaved people tried to escape to the free northern states.

Thornton and Rutha Blackburn were among those who feared being separated. They were both enslaved by different owners but got married in Louisville in 1831. Just a few months after their wedding, Rutha was sold to another owner. Before she could be sent away, Rutha and Thornton escaped from Kentucky on July 3, 1831. They found a new home in Detroit, Michigan, which was a free city in the North.

How the Blackburns Were Found

That fall, a white man named Thomas J. Rogers from Louisville visited Detroit. He saw Thornton Blackburn and recognized him as someone who had escaped from his hometown. Thornton did not recognize Rogers. They started talking, and Rogers learned that Rutha Blackburn, another escaped enslaved person, was living with Thornton. For reasons that are not clear, Rogers waited two years, until the summer of 1833, to tell the Kentucky authorities where the Blackburns were.

When the Blackburns' former owners were told, they hired slave catchers to find them. The couple was arrested and put in the Detroit jail. A hearing was held on June 15. They were found to be in violation of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. This law meant they had to be sent back to their owners in Kentucky on June 17.

The Events of the Riots

News of the Blackburns' situation quickly spread through Detroit. It made the African-American community very angry. Two African-American women, Tabitha Lightfoot and Caroline French, were friends with Rutha Blackburn. They went to the jail and asked to see Rutha one last time. Once inside, Rutha and French secretly switched places. Lightfoot then walked out of the jail with Rutha, who was disguised as French. When this was discovered later, French was told she would have to stay in jail in Rutha's place. However, French was released from jail later that day.

The Jail Stormed

The next day, June 17, 1833, a large crowd gathered outside the jail. They were armed and demanded that the sheriff release Thornton Blackburn. Reports say the crowd ranged from 40 to 400 people. The sheriff, John M. Wilson, tried three times to talk to the crowd. On his third attempt, he brought Thornton out to try and calm everyone down. As Thornton came out, someone secretly gave him a pistol. He pointed it at the jailer, threatening to shoot. The sheriff then fought with Thornton for the gun.

This made the crowd rush into the jail. They attacked the sheriff, the jailer, the deputy, and the guards. The sheriff was seriously hurt by someone in the crowd. During the confusion, Thornton was secretly taken from the jail. He was put on a boat that took him and many of his supporters to Canada. There, he was reunited with his wife.

Conflict Continues in Detroit

The conflict in Detroit did not stop after the Blackburns were rescued. White Detroiters were very angry about Thornton's escape. They also joined in the unrest. They attacked African-American men and women in the streets. They also burned down more than 40 buildings that belonged to African Americans. What started as an effort to save the Blackburns turned into city-wide racial conflict. These events are known as the first race riots in Detroit's history.

During this time, 29 people were arrested for gathering unlawfully. Hearings were held on June 21 and June 22. While some white people were arrested and tried, all 11 people who were found guilty were African American. The struggle continued into July. A march was organized to demand the release of the jailed protesters who had not been charged with any crimes. On July 11, the jail was set on fire, but the fire was quickly put out. On July 15, the stables next to the jail were all burned down, causing about $150 in damage.

After the stable fire, Detroit's mayor, Mayor Chapin, wrote to the U.S. Secretary of War, Lewis Cass. He asked for soldiers from Fort Gratiot to come into the city to restore order. The soldiers arrived on July 30. They put the city under martial law, which meant the military took control. This finally ended the riots.

What Happened After the Riots

With the unrest stopped, Mayor Chapin, with advice from the Detroit city council, made several new city rules. All African-American citizens had to carry a lantern at night so white citizens could see them. A 9:00 pm curfew was set, meaning everyone had to be home by that time. A night watch was also created to patrol the river. All boats coming to Detroit from Canada were stopped and checked.

Those who were put in prison were sentenced to work in a street repair group. They had to fix the damage caused by the riots. A Michigan law from 1827 was also made stronger. This law "required blacks to register and post bond with the clerk of the county court." This meant that any African-American resident of Detroit who could not prove they were free had to leave the city. It also required a bond payment of $500. This rule led to most of Detroit's African-American population moving to Canada.

The Blackburns' New Life in Canada

When Thornton and Rutha Blackburn arrived in Canada, they were arrested and put in jail in Sandwich, Windsor, Ontario. Officials from Michigan tried twice to have them sent back to the United States. However, Upper Canada had just passed a new law about capturing and sending back "fugitive offenders from foreign countries." This law allowed Lieutenant Governor John Colburne to refuse to send them back.

This new law stated that "fugitive slaves could not be extradited to the United States if they had not committed a crime that was punishable under Canadian law." The Blackburns had not broken any Canadian laws because slavery had just been made illegal in Canada by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. The main idea of this law was that Canada would not send enslaved people back to their owners in the United States, no matter what they had done. This made Canada a safe place for people escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad. The Blackburn case was the first one decided under this important new law.

The Blackburns were released from jail. They spent some time in Amherstburg and then moved permanently to Toronto in 1834.