William Parker (abolitionist) facts for kids

William Parker (born 1821, died 1891) was an amazing American hero. He was born into slavery but bravely escaped to freedom in Pennsylvania. There, he became a strong leader against slavery in a town called Christiana. He was a farmer and helped create a group for Black people to protect themselves.

Parker is famous for his role in an important event in 1851, known as the Christiana Resistance. During this event, a slave owner named Edward Gorsuch, who was trying to capture his escaped slaves, was killed. Other white men with him were also hurt. This event showed how hard it was to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

After Gorsuch's death, Parker had to leave Christiana quickly. He traveled using the Underground Railroad to Rochester, New York. There, he met Frederick Douglass, a famous leader against slavery. Douglass helped Parker and his group cross the Niagara River into Canada, where they became truly free. Parker settled in Buxton, learned to read and write, and became a writer for Douglass's newspaper, The North Star.

Many people were accused of crimes after the Christiana Resistance. One white man, Castner Hanway, was put on trial. The jury quickly found him not guilty. After this, no one else was tried. Frederick Douglass later said that the events at Christiana helped to destroy the Fugitive Slave Law. This event happened ten years before the Civil War and was even called "Civil War, The First Blow Struck."

William Parker became well-known for fighting against slavery. He was brave in protecting his own rights and the rights of other Black people. He helped many enslaved people escape. His courage and leadership at his home in Christiana inspired many people.

Early Life and Escape to Freedom

William Parker was born into slavery on a plantation called Roedown in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. His mother, Louisa Simms, was an enslaved woman. His father was likely a white man, as Parker was of mixed race. His mother died when he was very young.

In his own story, The Freedman's Story, Parker wrote about learning to fight as a boy. He fought to get a warm spot by the fire. He dreamed of being free. He especially wanted to avoid seeing his family members sold away, which felt like a funeral because they were usually never seen again. Parker was about 17 years old when he ran away to find his freedom.

Life as an Abolitionist

Parker eventually reached the free state of Pennsylvania. He settled in Christiana in Lancaster County. There, he met and married Eliza Ann Elizabeth Howard.

Protecting Escaped Slaves

Parker was inspired by speeches from William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass. He encouraged Black community members to form a group for mutual protection. Christiana was close to the Maryland border. This meant that slave catchers often came into the area. These slave catchers, like the famous Gap Gang, looked for escaped slaves to return to their owners.

Slave catchers earned a lot of money for returning enslaved people. They also sometimes kidnapped free Black people to sell them into slavery. The demand for enslaved people was very high in the Deep South.

Parker and his protection group used force to stop the recapture of Black people. They created a network to warn their neighbors when slave catchers were near. They would quickly act to rescue anyone captured before they could be taken back across state lines. They believed that if the country's laws would not protect them, they would protect themselves.

The Christiana Resistance

Line drawing of William Parker's house, around 1851.

On September 11, 1851, Edward Gorsuch, a slave owner from Maryland, arrived with a warrant. He wanted to get his escaped slaves back. Gorsuch had heard that his slaves were at Parker's farmhouse. Parker had also received a warning that Gorsuch, a federal marshal, and others were coming. So, Parker and his friends were ready when Gorsuch arrived.

Eliza, Parker's wife, blew a horn to alert neighbors that slave catchers were out. Both sides were determined. Parker believed slavery was wrong. Gorsuch believed the law gave him the right to own slaves. There are different stories about how the shooting started. But it led to Gorsuch's death and his son Dickinson being badly wounded.

William Parker went into hiding that evening. He used his connections on the Underground Railroad to avoid being arrested by federal officers. He made his way to Rochester, New York. Frederick Douglass helped him cross the Niagara River by ferry into Canada. Parker, his wife Eliza, and their three children settled in a Black community in Buxton, Ontario. They bought a 50-acre piece of land. They had more children in Canada.

A grand jury accused 41 men of crimes related to the events, including Parker. They believed a former slave was not the leader. So, they first tried Castner Hanway, a white neighbor of Parker. The jury found him not guilty after only 15 minutes. The Christiana Resistance was a major problem for those who supported slavery in the years before the Civil War.

Life in Canada

Parker continued his work against slavery from his new home in Canada. He focused on learning new skills to fight for freedom and improve the lives of Black people. He went to school in Buxton to learn to read and write. Soon after, he became the correspondent for Kent County for The North Star. This was Frederick Douglass's newspaper, which promoted freedom and the improvement of Black people.

Parker was also elected to the Court of Arbitration. This was the governing body of the Buxton settlement, which was a self-governed community. He wrote many messages for this group. He was also elected to the Raleigh Township Council from Buxton. Both white and Black voters repeatedly re-elected him.

Legacy and Honors

• The Christiana Historical Society placed a plaque in Parker's honor. It is at the memorial to the Resistance in Christiana.
• William Parker was buried with Masonic honors after his death on April 14, 1891. He was 70 years old.

In Popular Culture

• In 2009, Warren Oree's jazz opera, Never Back Down, was created. It is based on the Christiana Resistance. It first showed at Cliveden House in Philadelphia. This project received support from a program that promoted the city's Underground Railroad history.
• Actress Zooey Deschanel is a descendant of Quaker abolitionists Sarah and Levi Pownall. They owned the land where the Christiana Resistance happened. They helped the wounded Dickinson Gorsuch after the fight. They also helped William Parker escape.