Richard Eells facts for kids
Richard Eells (1800-1846) was a doctor and a strong supporter of ending slavery. He was born in Connecticut. In 1833, he moved to Quincy, Illinois. Richard Eells went to Yale College. He started his medical practice there. Soon, he became very involved in the movement to abolish slavery. His house became a safe place for enslaved people who had escaped.
Helping Enslaved People
In 1842, an enslaved man named Charley came to Eells' house. Charley had escaped from Chauncey Durkee in Monticello, Missouri. A free man named Barryman Barnett saw Charley. He was swimming across the Mississippi River. Barnett then guided Charley to Dr. Eells' home.
Dr. Eells tried to help Charley hide. He put Charley in his carriage. He planned to drive him to a safer hiding spot. However, a group of people who caught escaped enslaved individuals tried to stop them. Charley was unfortunately returned to his owner, Durkee. Durkee then accused Eells of helping an enslaved person escape. This was against the laws in Illinois at that time.
The Court Case
The local judge, Stephen A. Douglas, fined Dr. Eells $400. Eells did not agree with this decision. He appealed the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1844. But he lost the case again.
Despite these losses, the case made Eells famous. He became well-known in the wider movement to end slavery. In 1843, he became president of the Illinois Anti-Slavery Party. He was also chosen to run for president in 1844. He represented the Liberty Party. In 1846, he ran for governor of Illinois but did not win.
The legal battles were very expensive. They also made Dr. Eells very sick. He died in 1846 on a boat near Cincinnati.
A Long Fight for Justice
Even after Eells died, his family continued the legal fight. They took the case all the way to the US Supreme Court. Two important senators, Salmon P. Chase and William H. Seward, argued for Eells. They tried to prove he was innocent.
However, the Supreme Court decided not to challenge the laws of the time. These laws often supported slave owners. So, in 1852, the Supreme Court upheld Eells' conviction. This meant the earlier decision that he was guilty stood.
In 2015, the mayor of Quincy, Chuck Shultz, asked for a special pardon for Dr. Eells. This pardon was granted by Governor Pat Quinn. It happened long after Eells had passed away. Today, Dr. Eells' house in the South Side German Historic District in Quincy has been fixed up. It is now open for people to visit.
