Isaac Shadd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isaac D. Shadd
Born	1829 (1829) Delaware
Died	March 15, 1896(1896-03-15) (aged 66–67) Greenville, Mississippi
Nationality	American and Canadian
Occupation	Publisher and politician
Spouse(s)	Amelia Freeman Shadd
Parent(s)	Abraham D. Shadd (father) Harriet Burton Parnell Shadd (mother)
Relatives	Mary Ann Shadd Cary (sister) Eunice P. Shadd (sister)

Isaac D. Shadd (1829 – March 15, 1896) was an important figure in American and Canadian history. He was a newspaper publisher, a printer, and a politician. He also worked as a bookkeeper.

Before the American Civil War, Isaac and his sister Mary Ann Shadd moved to Chatham, Ontario, in Canada. There, they published an anti-slavery newspaper called The Provincial Freeman. Isaac and his wife, Amelia, also taught at the Chatham Mission School.

Isaac was involved in the planning of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry. He also led the Chatham Vigilance Committee to help rescue a man named Sylvanus Demarest in 1858. Later, Isaac returned to the United States. He became a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives during the Reconstruction era. He served from 1871 to 1876. From 1874 to 1875, he was the Speaker of the House.

Isaac Shadd's Early Life

Isaac Shadd was born in Delaware in 1829. He was one of thirteen children. His parents, Harriet Burton Parnell and Abraham D. Shadd, were both strong supporters of the anti-slavery movement. His father, Abraham, was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He was a board member of the American Anti-Slavery Society. He also helped distribute The Emancipator, a newspaper published by the Society.

In Delaware, Black children were not allowed to go to school. So, in 1833, Abraham moved his family to West Chester, Pennsylvania. This town was just five miles away. There, the Shadd children could study at a Quaker school. Both of Isaac's parents' homes in Delaware and Pennsylvania were stops on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.

Around 1850, Isaac and his sister Mary Ann moved to Ontario, Canada. This was about the time the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. This law made it easier for slave catchers to capture runaway enslaved people. It also allowed them to take free Black people from northern states back into slavery. Mary Ann wrote a pamphlet encouraging Black people to move to Canada for freedom. In 1853, Abraham Shadd also moved his family to Canada West (now Ontario).

Marriage and Family Life

Isaac Shadd married Amelia Freeman. She was born free in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, around 1833. She studied at Oberlin College in Ohio by 1849. In the 1850s, she taught art and music at Avery College in Pittsburg.

Amelia was encouraged to move to Chatham, Canada, to start the Chatham Mission School. She arrived in Chatham in 1856. The school opened in 1859. It offered many subjects, including philosophy and music. Amelia worked hard to keep the school open. She sometimes taught in public schools to earn money. She also gave private music and art lessons.

Isaac and Amelia met in Ontario between 1854 and 1857. They were married by 1861. Isaac had a son named Charlton, who was born around 1854. Charlton later became involved in politics in Greenville, Mississippi.

Working for Freedom in Canada

James Hamlet was captured under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

Isaac and Mary Ann Shadd managed The Provincial Freeman newspaper in Chatham, Ontario. This newspaper was important for sharing anti-slavery ideas. Isaac and his wife, Amelia, also worked at the Chatham Mission School. By 1864, the school had 259 students.

U.S. Marines attacking John Brown's fort during his raid on Harper's Ferry.

In 1858, Isaac Shadd hosted a meeting for John Brown. Brown was an abolitionist who wanted to end slavery. Isaac became the secretary of Brown's League of Liberty. They held secret meetings in Chatham to plan ways to fight slavery. Brown came to Canada to find Black people who would join his plan. This led to John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. This event was a big step towards the American Civil War.

Isaac and his sister Mary were both members of the Chatham Vigilance Committee. This group worked to stop former enslaved people from being taken back to the United States and forced into slavery again. They helped people like Sylvanus Demarest stay free.

Returning to the United States

In the late 1850s, Isaac thought about moving to Africa. However, he eventually moved his family back to the United States. By 1870, they were living in Davis Bend, Mississippi. Isaac worked as a bookkeeper there.

In 1871, Isaac moved to Vicksburg. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives. He served in this role until 1876. From 1874 to 1875, he was the Speaker of the House. This was a very important position.

In 1875, Isaac started the Shadd Training College. This school helped train over a hundred Black students. It taught them useful skills for jobs.

By 1879, Isaac and Amelia moved to Greenville, Mississippi. Isaac became a board member for the city of Greenville. In 1883, he was appointed as a route agent for the United States Postal Service. He worked on the mail route between Vicksburg and Memphis until 1885. From 1886 to 1889, Isaac edited the Greenville Herald newspaper.

While living in Mississippi, Amelia Shadd continued to teach. She worked in public schools and was a principal in two schools in Vicksburg.

Isaac Shadd was also a Grand Master of a masonic order. He passed away on March 15, 1896, in Greenville, Mississippi.

Images for kids

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  Isaac D. Shadd

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  James Hamlet, captured under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

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  U.S. Marines attacking John Brown's fort during his raid on Harper's Ferry.