Jerry Rescue facts for kids
The Jerry Rescue was a brave event that happened on October 1, 1851. It was a public rescue of a man named William Henry, who was also known as "Jerry." Jerry was a 40-year-old cooper (someone who makes barrels) who had escaped slavery in Missouri. He was arrested in Syracuse, New York, but many people worked together to help him escape to freedom. This rescue happened during a big meeting of the Liberty Party, which was a group that wanted to end slavery.
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Why Syracuse Was Important
New York was a "free state," meaning slavery was not allowed there. Many people in Syracuse wanted to end slavery. This city became a very active center for the abolitionist movement. Abolitionists were people who strongly believed that slavery was wrong and should be stopped everywhere.
Important abolitionists like Gerrit Smith and Reverend Samuel Joseph May lived in the area. Other famous people who fought against slavery, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, also had connections to Syracuse. Because of their efforts, Syracuse became known as a major stop on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network of safe houses and routes that helped enslaved people travel to freedom, often in Canada.
In 1850, the U.S. Congress passed a law called the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. This law made it easier for slave owners to capture people who had escaped slavery, even in free states. It also required citizens to help catch them. Many people in Syracuse were very upset about this law. Samuel May organized protests against it. Even Daniel Webster, a powerful government official, visited Syracuse and warned that the law would be enforced there.
Who Was William Henry, or "Jerry"?
William Henry, who later called himself Jerry, was born into slavery in North Carolina in 1811. His mother was named Ciel. When Jerry was seven, his owner moved to Missouri. There, Jerry grew up and became a skilled carpenter and cooper. He was especially good at making chairs.
In 1843, Jerry bravely escaped from Missouri. He traveled through different states, avoiding capture twice. His owner then sold the rights to Jerry to another person for $400. This sale happened after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, which made it easier for the new owner to try and find Jerry.
In the winter of 1849, Jerry arrived in Syracuse. He had heard that Syracuse was a friendly place for people who had escaped slavery. He decided to stay there instead of continuing his journey to Canada. Jerry found work as a cabinet maker. Even though some co-workers didn't want him there, his boss, Charles F. Williston, supported him. Later, Jerry moved to another job to earn more money.
Even though Jerry became part of the community, he sometimes faced unfair treatment. He was arrested a few times for minor issues, but he was never found guilty. What Jerry didn't know was that his ownership had been bought by someone else, John McReynolds. With the new Fugitive Slave Law on his side, McReynolds planned to get Jerry back.
How Was the Rescue Planned?
After Jerry was arrested, a group called the Syracuse Vigilance Committee decided they had to help him. They met to create a plan to rescue Jerry. Their goal was to free him without anyone getting hurt.
The plan was to be quick and quiet. They would hide Jerry in New York until it was safe for him to cross the border into Canada. A horse and buggy would be waiting near the police station. When a signal was given, the crowd would rush into the police office. They would surround the guards while Jerry was quickly taken out to the buggy. From there, Jerry would be taken to a safe place and hidden until he could travel to Canada.
The Day of the Rescue
On October 1, the day Jerry was arrested, many abolitionists were in Syracuse for a Liberty Party meeting. Gerrit Smith, a wealthy and important abolitionist, was there. He helped plan the rescue and used his connections to arrange for Jerry's escape route to Canada. His money helped pay for a carriage and safe houses.
When Jerry was first brought to the police office, Gerrit Smith, Samuel Joseph May, and a lawyer named Leonard Gibbs arrived to help. Gibbs tried to delay the process by asking for Jerry to be unshackled. Around 2:30 PM, the crowd outside urged Jerry to escape, and he tried to run. Although he was caught and brought back, his escape attempt bought time and gathered more support from the people watching.
By 5:30 PM, more lawyers arrived to argue for Jerry's freedom. The longer the trial lasted, the angrier the crowd became.
At 8:00 PM, a group of people, some with tools from a hardware shop, stormed the police office. As planned, someone inside turned off the gas lights, making it dark and confusing. More people joined in, and they broke through the doors. Jerry's captors were outnumbered and eventually let him go. The crowd helped hide Jerry's rescuers, and Jerry was quickly taken to a carriage.
Jerry's Journey to Freedom
The carriage took Jerry to Lucy Watson's home. She cared for his wounds and removed his ankle shackles. The handcuffs were harder to remove, so a blacksmith named Peter Lilly helped. Lucy then dressed Jerry in women's clothes as a disguise.
Jerry was then taken to Caleb Davis's home, where he hid for four days. This was a surprising choice because Davis was known for being against abolitionists. However, Davis was upset that the government was interfering in Syracuse's affairs. He believed it was wrong for the militia (a military force) to get involved. He was more against the government's actions than he was an abolitionist, but his feelings helped Jerry.
There are different stories about what happened after Jerry left Davis's home. One story says that Caleb Davis hid Jerry in his butcher cart and drove him out of town. He even bribed a tollkeeper to pretend to be asleep to avoid being caught. Another story says that James Davis and Jason Hoyt took Jerry to the next stop on the Underground Railroad, about thirty miles away in Mexico, New York. From there, Jerry traveled west of Oswego and then crossed Lake Ontario into Canada. He settled in Kingston, Ontario, where he continued to work as a cooper and carpenter, finally living as a free man.
What Happened to the Rescuers?
After the rescue, some people who helped Jerry were arrested. Supporters, including U.S. Senator William H. Seward, raised money to help them. Nine others, including Jermain Wesley Loguen, escaped to Canada.
The trials for the rescuers were delayed many times. Finally, in January 1853, a man named Enoch Reed was tried. He was found "not guilty" of violating the Fugitive Slave Law because it was never proven that Jerry's owner had a legal right to him. However, Reed was convicted for resisting a federal officer. He passed away before his appeal could be heard. Other trials resulted in some people being found not guilty, and some cases were never fully resolved.
In the end, twelve men were arrested, but only one was convicted on a minor charge. The charges against the remaining people were not dropped until June 1861, just before the American Civil War began.
Remembering the Jerry Rescue
The place where the rescue happened, a building called the Townsend Block, was later renamed the Jerry Rescue Building. This building is no longer standing. Today, the event is remembered with a monument in Clinton Square in Syracuse.
Jerry Rescue Day Celebrations
Jerry Rescue Day was a special day held every October 1 to honor Jerry's rescue and celebrate his freedom. Abolitionists in the Syracuse area celebrated it every year until the Civil War started.
The first Jerry Rescue Day was held one year after the rescue. People would listen to speeches, read poetry, sing songs, and declare their support for resisting laws that supported slavery. They also collected money to help with legal costs for the rescuers and to keep the Underground Railroad running. They believed the rescue was a powerful lesson about law and slavery.
Over time, these celebrations became more focused on the idea of using force to defend people who had escaped slavery. Frederick Douglass was a strong supporter of this idea. At one celebration, he held up a pair of broken shackles, said to be Jerry's, and asked how many arguments it would take to break them.
These celebrations eventually stopped because Gerrit Smith, one of the main organizers, became frustrated with the slow progress toward ending slavery in the country. However, the Jerry Rescue was remembered with a reenactment and a new monument for its 150th anniversary in 2001.
