Charles Turner Torrey facts for kids
.jpg)
Charles Turner Torrey (born November 21, 1813 – died May 9, 1846) was an important American abolitionist. Abolitionists were people who worked to end slavery. For a long time, historians didn't know much about Torrey. But recently, we've learned that he helped the abolitionist movement become more active and political.
Torrey helped set up one of the first well-organized routes for the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. He personally helped about 400 enslaved people find freedom. Torrey also worked closely with free Black people, seeing them as equal partners in the fight against slavery. John Brown, another famous abolitionist, said Torrey was one of his role models.
Contents
Who Was Charles Turner Torrey?
His Early Life and Education
Charles Turner Torrey was born on November 21, 1813, in Scituate, Massachusetts. When he was only four years old, his mother, father, and baby sister all passed away from tuberculosis. He then went to live with his grandparents. His grandfather had been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and taught young Charles about political issues.
Torrey went to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. At age 16, he was accepted into Yale College, which is now Yale University. While at Yale, he decided to dedicate his life to his Christian faith. After graduating in 1833, Torrey taught for a year. Then, he decided to become a Congregational minister.
How Torrey Fought Against Slavery
Becoming an Abolitionist Leader
In 1834, Torrey began studying at the Andover Theological Seminary. Ending slavery was a big topic there. Torrey decided to join the cause. Even though he had to stop his studies for a year due to tuberculosis, he became very active with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. This group was led by William Lloyd Garrison.
Garrison believed slavery could end by changing people's minds through lectures and pamphlets. This was called "moral suasion." After finishing his studies, Torrey worked as a minister in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. But he soon left his church duties to focus completely on fighting slavery in Maryland. He believed in a more active approach than Garrison.
The Great Split in the Movement
Torrey and Garrison also disagreed on other things. For example, Garrison wanted to include women's rights in the anti-slavery movement. Torrey and many other abolitionists thought it was better to focus only on ending slavery.
In January 1839, Torrey and his friends, including Amos A. Phelps and Henry Brewster Stanton, challenged Garrison's leadership. Garrison had many supporters at the meeting, so he easily won. Because of this, Torrey and his allies started a new group. It was called the "New Organization," and Garrison's group became the "Old Organization." This disagreement was a big split in the abolitionist movement.
Starting the Liberty Party
The New Organization quickly adopted a more active and political way to fight slavery. In July 1839, almost 500 people met to talk about forming a political party just for abolitionism. On April 1, 1840, the Liberty Party was officially formed. Torrey was one of the vice-presidents at this meeting. After that, he became the Liberty Party organizer for Massachusetts.
In 1841, Torrey also helped start the Boston Vigilance Committee. This group helped protect Black people in Boston from being kidnapped and sold into slavery.
Helping Enslaved People Escape
The Underground Railroad in Action
By the end of 1841, Torrey felt that political action was too slow. He went to Washington, D.C., as a reporter for abolitionist newspapers. It seems he already planned to help enslaved people escape. He started visiting Black churches and making friends with abolitionist members of Congress, like Joshua Reed Giddings. In January 1842, Torrey attended a meeting of Maryland slaveholders. He was arrested for writing "incendiary" (meaning, stirring up trouble) material and jailed for four days.
After his release, Torrey kept working as a reporter. But he also set up a detailed Underground Railroad route. This route went from Washington to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Albany. He worked closely with Thomas Smallwood, a free Black man. They encouraged enslaved people in Washington to run away. Then, they transported them north to freedom in Pennsylvania.
A Network of Safe Houses
From Pennsylvania, the escapees were guided through a series of safe houses. Many of these houses were owned by Quakers. The route led to Philadelphia, Albany, and often, all the way to Canada. Torrey and his helpers rented horses and wagons. They often moved as many as 15 or 20 enslaved people at a time. Torrey and Smallwood specifically targeted enslaved people owned by Southern members of Congress. They hoped this would cause more public attention and problems for slaveholders.
By October 1842, the police in Washington were looking for Torrey. So, he moved to Albany. Smallwood continued to help people escape until the spring of 1843. By then, they had helped about 400 enslaved people gain freedom. Smallwood also moved north to avoid arrest. Much of the money for their work came from Gerrit Smith, a rich abolitionist.
In November 1843, Torrey and Smallwood returned to Washington, even though they were wanted by the police. They barely escaped being arrested. Smallwood then settled in Toronto. But Torrey went to Baltimore and kept helping enslaved people escape. Finally, in June 1844, Torrey was arrested and put in jail.
Torrey's Time in Prison and Death
Torrey was accused of helping enslaved people escape. At first, he thought he could use his arrest to challenge if slavery was legal at all. If it wasn't legal, then helping people escape wouldn't be a crime. But by September 1844, it was clear this plan wouldn't work. He tried to break out of jail and almost succeeded.
In December, Torrey was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison. The harsh prison conditions caused his tuberculosis to return. People across New England started "Torrey Committees" to raise money for his legal defense. Requests for his release were sent to the Governor of Maryland. The Governor eventually agreed to pardon him. But the letter arrived at the prison on the same day Torrey died, May 9, 1846.
His body was taken to Boston. Many people attended his funeral. He was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A monument with a figure of a female enslaved person was placed on his grave. The Anti-Slavery Society and abolitionist Photius Fisk paid for the monument. "Torrey's blood crieth out" became a rallying cry for abolitionists. His story inspired many people in the United States and Europe, giving new energy to the anti-slavery cause.
William L. Chaplin took over as the head of the Washington Underground Railroad after Torrey.
Joseph Cammett Lovejoy wrote a book about Torrey in 1847. Lovejoy's brother, Elijah Parish Lovejoy, had been killed for publishing an abolitionist newspaper.
Why Charles Torrey Matters Today
After the Civil War ended, Charles Torrey was largely forgotten. This was mainly because the history of the abolitionist movement was often written by Garrison and his supporters, who were still alive. Most of Torrey's supporters had passed away.
Even though his time as an abolitionist was relatively short, Torrey made big contributions to helping enslaved people find freedom:
- He helped lead the challenge against William Lloyd Garrison in 1839. This led to a permanent split between Garrison's "old" and Torrey's "new" abolitionists. The "new" group used more aggressive methods.
- He helped create the Liberty Party in 1840. This party's main goal was to end slavery.
- In 1842, he set up the first well-organized Underground Railroad route from Washington, D.C., to Albany, New York. Some people at the time called him the "father" of the Underground Railroad.
- He personally helped about 400 enslaved people escape. This was more than most other abolitionists. Torrey specifically helped people from the Washington and Baltimore areas, including those owned by important government officials.
- He was one of the first white abolitionists to work closely with Black partners. He stayed in their homes and shared the dangers of their work.
- He greatly influenced other active abolitionists who came after him. For example, John Brown said Torrey was one of the three abolitionists he looked up to.
Images for kids
-
A sketch of Torrey, c. 1840, from Memoir of Rev. Charles T. Torrey, Joseph P. Lovejoy, ed. (Boston: John P. Jewett & Co.), 1847
-
Monument for Charles Turner Torrey by sculptor Joseph Carew at Mount Auburn Cemetery
