Ellis Gray Loring facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellis Gray Loring
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Loring circa 1848
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| Born | April 14, 1803 Boston, U.S.
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| Died | May 25, 1858 (aged 55) Boston, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Harvard College Harvard Law School |
| Spouse(s) | Louisa Gilman |
| Children | Anna Loring Dresel |
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Ellis Gray Loring (born April 14, 1803 – died May 24, 1858) was an American lawyer and a brave fighter against slavery from Boston. He was also known for his good deeds as a philanthropist. Loring helped start the New England Anti-Slavery Society. He gave legal advice to people who wanted to end slavery, and he even hid runaway slaves in his own home. He also helped pay for Liberator, an important newspaper that spoke out against slavery. Loring also guided Robert Morris, who later became one of the first African-American lawyers in the United States.
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Early Life and Education
Ellis Gray Loring was born in Boston on April 14, 1803. His father, James Tyng Loring, was a druggist. Ellis went to the Boston Latin School, a famous old school. In 1819, he won the school's Franklin Medal for being a great student. He then studied at Harvard, where he was part of a special honor society called Phi Beta Kappa. In 1827, he became a lawyer in Massachusetts. After that, he worked for the Western Railroad Company.
Fighting Against Slavery
At first, Loring thought that slavery should end slowly, step by step. He believed this would get more people to support the cause. But William Lloyd Garrison, another strong anti-slavery leader, convinced him that slavery must end right away and completely.
Starting the Anti-Slavery Society
On January 1, 1831, Loring was one of twelve people who met in a church basement. They came together to create the New England Anti-Slavery Society. This group worked hard to end slavery. Ellis Loring and another person named Oliver Johnson wrote the rules for this new society. Loring also helped manage the money that supported The Liberator newspaper, which was a strong voice against slavery.
Legal Help for Abolitionists
Loring often gave legal advice to people fighting against slavery. In 1836, the governor of Massachusetts, Edward Everett, wanted to make a law that would stop abolitionists from speaking freely. Loring, along with Garrison and Samuel Joseph May, spoke to the lawmakers. They successfully argued that the proposed law was against the rules of the country's constitution.
That same year, Loring and Samuel Sewall won an important case in court called Commonwealth v. Aves. They argued that if a slave owner brought a slave to a free state, that slave could not be forced to return to slavery. This was a big win for freedom.
Mentoring Robert Morris
In the late 1830s, Loring hired a 15-year-old African-American boy named Robert Morris to work in his home. When Loring's usual helper didn't do his job, Morris stepped in. Loring was very impressed by how smart Morris was. He started teaching Morris about law. In 1847, Loring helped Morris become a lawyer in Massachusetts. Robert Morris was only the second African American to practice law in Massachusetts. He used his legal skills to fight for fairness for Black people.
The Amistad Case
Loring was also part of the Amistad Committee. This group helped the captive Africans in the famous United States v. The Amistad court case in 1841. Loring and Lewis Tappan visited the elderly John Quincy Adams, a former president, and convinced him to take on the case.
Helping Runaway Slaves
After the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, it became even harder for runaway slaves. This law said that people in free states had to help catch and return runaway slaves. Loring joined the Boston Vigilance Committee to help. He opened his home as a safe place for runaway slaves. For example, Ellen Craft stayed at Loring's home when she was being chased by slave catchers from Georgia.
In 1851, Loring was one of the lawyers who defended Shadrach Minkins. Minkins was a Boston resident arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act. When the lawyers couldn't get Minkins released, a group of activists stormed the courthouse and rescued him! Loring, along with Richard Henry Dana Jr., then defended Robert Morris, Lewis Hayden, and John J. Smith because they were involved in the rescue.
Personal Life
Ellis Gray Loring married Louisa Gilman in 1827. They had one child, a daughter named Anna. Anna later married a musician and composer named Otto Dresel. Louisa Loring was also active in the fight against slavery as a member of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society.
Loring was a close friend of the famous writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Loring helped Emerson understand more about the fight against slavery. He also helped Emerson with research for a speech he gave in 1844 about ending slavery in the West Indies.
Ellis Gray Loring passed away on May 24, 1858, after a short illness. Just three days later, William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips spoke about Loring at a big anti-slavery meeting. Their words were printed in The Liberator newspaper. The poet John Greenleaf Whittier also wrote a poem honoring Loring.
