Description
Book SynopsisAn illuminating look at how Philadelphia's antebellum free Black community defended themselves against kidnappings and how this street diplomacy forced Pennsylvanians to confront the politics of slavery. As the most southern of northern cities in a state that bordered three slave states, antebellum Philadelphia maintained a long tradition of both abolitionism and fugitive slave activity. Although Philadelphia's Black community lived in a free city in a free state, they faced constant threats to their personal safety and freedom. Enslavers, kidnappers, and slave catchers prowled the streets of Philadelphia in search of potential victims, violent anti-Black riots erupted in the city, and white politicians legislated to undermine Black freedom. In Street Diplomacy, Elliott Drago illustrates how the political and physical conflicts that arose over fugitive slave removals and the kidnappings of free Black people forced Philadelphians to confront the politics of slavery. Pennsylvania was l
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements
Introduction. Terror in an Age of Slavery
Chapter 1. A Precarious Freedom
Chapter 2. Street Diplomacy
Chapter 3. Fugitive Freedom in Philadelphia
Chapter 4. Domestic Sanctuary
Chapter 5. A Theatre of Scenes
Chapter 6. Interlocking Opportunities
Epilogue. The Famous Grasshopper War
Notes
Primary Sources
Index
