William P. Newman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William P. Newman
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| Born | 1810/15 |
| Died | 1866 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Baptist minister, abolitionist |
William P. Newman (born between 1810 and 1815, died 1866) was an amazing person who escaped slavery and became a leader for freedom. He was born into slavery in Virginia but bravely ran away to the North. There, he got an education at Oberlin College.
After his studies, William Newman became a Baptist minister. He led the Union Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio for several years. He also traveled a lot to Canada, where he helped start schools and preached about freedom. He was well-known for writing about abolition, which was the movement to end slavery.
When a tough law called the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, he moved his family to Ontario, Canada, to keep them safe. They stayed there until 1859. Later, he tried living in Haiti and Jamaica, but eventually returned to the United States when the Civil War began. He went back to lead the Union Baptist Church. Sadly, he died in 1866 during a sickness called cholera.
Early Life and Escape
William P. Newman was born into slavery in Williamsburg, Virginia. This was sometime between 1810 and 1815. When he was older, he bravely escaped and traveled north to freedom.
In 1839, he arrived at Oberlin College in Ohio, a school known for supporting equal rights. From the very beginning, Newman was active in the fight against slavery. He was chosen to speak for the Black students at Oberlin. He also wrote strong articles in newspapers that supported ending slavery.
In 1843, he was one of six people chosen from Lorain County to attend a big meeting in Columbus. He even led an important committee at this meeting. People also said he was one of the first Black people to vote in his county.
William Newman left Oberlin in 1843. The next year, he married Nancy D. Brown. They had at least four children together, including their youngest daughter, Lucretia.
A Life of Service
When William Newman left school in 1843, he didn't have much money. But he had a big dream: to start schools in Canada West (which is now part of Ontario, Canada). By 1844, with help from a group called the Ladies Education Society of Ohio, he was giving talks in Canada. He was raising money for schools and looking for teachers.
By 1848, he returned to Cincinnati, Ohio. He became the pastor, or leader, of the Union Baptist Church. He took over from Reverend Charles Satchell. Newman stayed in Cincinnati until 1850. That year, a new law called the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed. This law made it easier for slave owners to capture escaped slaves, even in free states. Because of this, William Newman moved his family back to Canada to be safe.
They lived in Chatham, Kent County, Ontario. When Newman wasn't preaching or teaching, he ran a sawmill. It's thought that his first wife, Nancy, might have passed away. On August 15, 1859, William Newman married Sarah Clegget, who became a stepmother to his children.
Later in 1859, Newman, his new wife, and his six children left Canada. They went to Haiti, hoping to find missionaries who wanted to work in Africa. However, Newman found that he disagreed with the Catholic Church in Haiti. So, he moved his family again, this time to Jamaica.
Finally, in 1863, he returned to Cincinnati. In 1864, he was a representative at a big meeting called the National Black Convention in Syracuse, New York. By the end of that year, he was back leading his church at Union Baptist.
Legacy and Passing
William Newman died in 1866 during a serious outbreak of cholera, a dangerous illness. His church built a monument to remember him in their new cemetery. They also gave $1000 to his widow, Sarah, to help her set up a home near her family in Appleton, Wisconsin.
