![Brown arrowhead logo, point down. At top right, white text, National Park Service. At left, a tall tree. At bottom, a white bison stands on a green field ending in a distant tree line, a white lake at right. A snow-capped mountain towers behind.](https://cdn.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/5270dcfb28084cf891f5f93d1af88b25/resources/bNsoMSe_-x0Rj0wXAFGOR.png?w=200)
Following in Their Footsteps
Follow the life of Joshua Glover, a freedom seeker from St. Louis, on his journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad.
This story map will highlight significant locations throughout Glover's journey as well as multiple Network to Freedom sites.
Note: Each map presented throughout the narrative is dynamic and allows for interactivity with map elements and the zoom panel (located at the top left of the map).
Having No Rights
After much controversial debate, Missouri was admitted to the U.S. as a slave state in 1821. In the region, many enslaved laborers worked on farms along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Sitting at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, St. Louis offered fertile land for farming and a natural highway for trade north, east, and south. This ideal market also made it a prominent location for the trading of human property. Slave traders, such as Bernard Lynch, often held slave auctions on the steps of the St. Louis Courthouse.
By 1850, an influx of immigrants had arrived in St. Louis. As more people began looking for work, some enslaved men and women were able to hire themselves out to others and earn wages. As a result, some enslaved people were able to purchase their freedom, but this was not always the case.
During this time, Dred and Harriet Scott were fighting for their freedom through the Missouri courts by way of a freedom statute, a practice known as a freedom suit. Approximately 357 enslaved people of Missouri used this statute to sue for their freedom at the St. Louis Old Courthouse, however, only 124 won their cases (35%). Dred Scott ultimately lost his case in the U.S. Supreme Court's infamous Dred Scott decision (Dred Scott v. Sanford) which provided momentum to the abolitionist movement. Chief Justice Roger Taney, ruled that African Americans “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.”
Chief Justice Roger Taney, ruled that African Americans “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit" (Ableman v. Booth (March 7, 1859)).
At this point tension was high between northern and southern states. Abolitionists were becoming increasingly outraged by the current laws and regulations.
Sources:
- “Freedom Suits.” n.d. National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/freedom-suits.htm
- United States Supreme Court, Roger Brooke Taney, John H Van Evrie, and Samuel A Cartwright. The Dred Scott decision: opinion of Chief Justice Taney. New York: Van Evrie, Horton & Co., 1860, 1860. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/17001543/.
Garland Farm
In January of 1850, at a probate auction of human property, Joshua was purchased by Benammi Stone Garland - a young aristocrat of St. Louis. At this time Joshua did not have a recorded last name.
Garland owned a farm approximately four miles west of St. Louis, downstream from Alton, Illinois. Garland's farm was approximately 300 acres, of which 200 acres were farm land. Additionally, Garland owned dairy cows, cattle, pigs, and ten horses. It is likely that some of Joshua's initial duties his first winter with Garland included caring for animals, repairing and maintaining equipment, clearing land, splitting rails, and cutting wood for fuel.
Source:
- Jackson, Ruby West., and Walter T. McDonald. 2007. Finding Freedom the Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Joshua Seeks Freedom
Joshua was not content to remain with Garland, as he escaped May 15, 1852, crossing the Mississippi River toward Alton, Illinois. Researchers have not identified a specific incident that motivated Joshua’s escape. Despite the serious consequences if he was captured, Joshua’s motivation may simply have been “the accumulation of the humility of slavery pushing him to the final decision.” (Jackson 25)
It is possible Joshua crossed the Mississippi River near the NTF Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing site. The river crossing is named after Mary Meachum, an operative that helped a group of freedom seekers attempt to cross the Mississippi River but were met at the Illinois shoreline by police officers. Mary was arrested.
After realizing that Joshua escaped, Garland issued a $200 award for his apprehension. The advertisement was placed in the local newspaper, the St. Louis Missouri Republican, and ran everyday for a month, shown below.
St. Louis Missouri Republican; May 17, 1852, page 3, column 7.
Sources:
- Jackson, Ruby West., and Walter T. McDonald. 2007. Finding Freedom the Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
- Two Hundred Dollars Reward. n.d. Reward Advertisement for Joshua Glover (1852). Wisconsin Historical Society . Accessed August 24, 2020. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1562.
Joshua on the Underground Railroad
Wisconsin is unknown, however, there are multiple UGRR routes Joshua could have taken to reach Wisconsin. The most likely route began in Alton, IL and traveled north through Jacksonville, Farmington, Princeton, Paw Paw, Aurora, and St. Charles. Other routes could have included Joshua utilizing the Rock, Fox, or Des Plaines Rivers for transport to Wisconsin. Rivers were used frequently by freedom seekers. Both of these routes bypass Chicago, one of the busiest cities in the region, which was known to patrolled by “slave hunters.”
The journey to Wisconsin was over 400 miles. It is likely most of the traveling was completed on foot and at night to avoid potential captures.
Source:
- Jackson, Ruby West., and Walter T. McDonald. 2007. Finding Freedom the Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
A New Home
Joshua settled in Racine, Wisconsin. Racine, located along Lake Michigan, was a popular abolitionist area with ties to the UGRR.
As an enslaved laborer, Joshua had no family name. While in Racine, Joshua selected the last name "Glover". Glover acquired a job at the local mill and was given a place to live as a part of his employment. Yet, even though he lived in a free state, the laws of the United States at the time did not guarantee Glover’s safety. Threats to his liberty were ever present, and his fight to be recognized as a free man was not yet won. Additional information on Glover's life and the history of Racine can be found at the NTF Racine Heritage Museum.
Source:
- Jackson, Ruby West., and Walter T. McDonald. 2007. Finding Freedom the Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Runaway Slave. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Glover is Kidnapped
Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act on September 18, 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850. This law allowed Federal Marshall's to enter any state – free or slave – and take freedom seekers into custody. Those arrested received a trial before being forcefully returned to their enslavers. However, freedom seekers were not allowed to testify on their own behalf. Judges of those trials received $5 each time they were to rule the individual was free, and $10 if they ruled that they were a "fugitive slave." Any civilians who prevented the arrest of a freedom seeker or provided them assistance, was subject to six months in jail and a $1000 fine.
This racist law that targeted self-emancipated people in the United States would change the shape of the nation. If freedom seekers could not purchase their freedom, the only place they could truly be free from their enslavers was outside of the United States. Many freedom seekers who had settled in free states undertook a second migration to the safety of Canada where United States laws, such as the Fugitive Slave Act, had no jurisdiction and the Canadian government would not extradite freedom seekers.
Glover's Rescue
Sherman Booth, a newspaper editor and abolitionist, heard of Glover's unlawful kidnapping and imprisonment and called for a town meeting in Milwaukee.
Residents of Milwaukee had encountered a similar situation just ten years prior when Caroline Quarlls became the first known freedom seeker to pass through Wisconsin at the Samuel Brown Farm Site.
Booth spread the word through the town by passing out hand-bills that called for a meeting at the Milwaukee Courthouse Square, now Cathedral Square Park. The handbill stated,
In Racine, a large group of people gathered at Haymarket Square, now Monument Square. Members of the community gave speeches demanding a fair and impartial trial for Glover. A judge in Racine issued a warrant for the arrest of Garland and U.S. Marshall Cotton for their role in Glover’s capture. Over 100 members of the Racine community traveled to Milwaukee with the sheriff to locate and serve the warrants for Garland and Cotton.
In Milwaukee, hundreds of Racine and Milwaukee abolitionists surrounded the jail. A man by the name of James S. Angove located a wooden rafter from building materials nearby and, with the help of others, used the rafter as a battering ram to open the prison door and rescue Glover.
Sources:
- “Booth, Sherman Miller 1812-1904.” 2012. Wisconsin Historical Society. August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1656.
- Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "Milwaukee Sentinel"; "Milwaukee", "Wisconsin"; "June 10, 1900"; viewed online at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org on August 25, 2020.
Booth spread the word through the town by passing out hand-bills that called for a meeting at the Milwaukee Courthouse Square, now Cathedral Square Park. The handbill stated,
Underground Railroad
After Glover’s rescue he was set on a path to freedom via the Wisconsin UGRR.
Although Glover was successfully rescued from the jail, the abolitionists responsible for his rescue did not have a clear cut plan to get Glover out of Milwaukee. Luckily, before leaving Milwaukee, the group of rescuers met John A. Messenger, a local man who told the group to put Glover is his horse-drawn buggy. From there Messenger transported Glover to Waukesha, WI. This would be the beginning of a weeks long journey from Racine to Milwaukee along the UGRR, using abolitionists as guides and safe houses for protection from possible recapture.
Once in Waukesha, John Messenger, immediately went to the home of abolitionist W.D. Bacon. They connected Joshua with Vernon Tichenor, who hid Glover in his father's barn until Chauncey C. Olin, Glover's next guide, arrived. Chauncey C. Olin was the owner of a radical abolitionist newspaper, the Waukesha Freeman. Olin had leading roles in many anti-slavery activities in Wisconsin.
Continuing toward Racine, Olin and Glover left Waukesha and headed toward the Village of Rochester, WI. In Rochester, C.C. Olin (pictured below) met with R.E. Ela who provided C.C. Olin two new horses, to continue the journey to Racine. Many conductors had connections with other abolitionists who helped them navigate the UGRR.
Once in Racine, C.C. Olin transported Glover to the house of Rev. M.P. Kinney. Transport to Canada was not available right away so Glover traveled to at least five more safe houses between Racine and Burlington, WI before arriving back to Racine for maritime passage.
Sources:
- Olin, Chauncey C. 1893. A Complete Record of the John Olin Family: the First of That Name Who Came to America in the Year A.D. 1678. Containing an Account of Their Settlement and Genealogy up to the Present Time--1893. Indianapolis: Baker-Randolph Co.
Passage to Canada
For passage to Canada, Glover boarded a ship leaving from the A.P. Dutton Warehouse. The ship and Glover were likely bound for Owen Sound or Collingwood, Ontario. Both locations are accessible through the Great Lakes, and are an example of the Great Lakes maritime UGRR.
A.P. Dutton was a major Racine UGRR conductor, assisting Joshua Glover and approximately 100 other enslaved laborers to find freedom through the Great Lakes maritime UGRR.
Source:
- Winters, Joel. n.d. “Joshua Glover: A Refugee of the 1850's.” Etobicoke Historical Society. Accessed August 25, 2020. http://www.etobicokehistorical.com/joshua-glover.html.
Map Description: The map on the right hand side of the screen displays the remainder, locations 3-6 of Glover's journey, from Racine, Wisconsin to Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Locations include 3 -- Racine WI, 4 -- Milwaukee, WI, 5 -- Owen Sound, ON and Collingwood, ON, 6 -- Etobicoke, ON. Each location is displayed using a green bubble with a white number inside.
A Free Man
In mid-April Glover arrived in Etobicoke, Ontario, just south of Toronto. Glover became one of 39 Blacks living in Etobicoke. Glover found a job working at theand settled in a small house in that he rented from the inn owner. He worked at the Montgomery Inn for over 20 years, creating a bond with the inn owner and his family.
Montgomery Inn in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Image Courtesy of Toronto Public Library.
Throughout his time in Etobicoke, Glover married twice. He married his first wife, an Irish woman named Ann, in 1861. This marriage is believed to be one of the first interracial marriages in Etobicoke. Ann died about ten years later leaving Glover alone. Glover married again to a white Irish woman named Mary-Ann Wattes. Little is known about the marriage or Mary-Ann.
The 1871 Canadian census lists Glover as 60 years old and married. According to other records, it is believed Glover was actually 64.
1861's Canadian census with an entry that reads Joshua Glover
In May of 1884, Glover was accused of stabbing and seriously wounding a white man and as a result, Glover was charged with wounding with intent. The Inn owner, William Montgomery provided Glover with a lawyer. With the help of the lawyer Glover was convicted of wounding without intent, a far cry from the potential felony he was facing. Glover spent three months in jail as a result of the conviction.
In January of 1888, Glover was sent to the , similar to what is known as a nursing home today.
Six months later, on June 2, 1888 Joshua Glover died from congestion of the lungs. Despite efforts by the Inn owner to retrieve and bury Glover with his family, Glover's body was sent to the University of Toronto medical school, which was a common practice of the Industrial Home.
Photo of York County Industrial Home
Source:
- Winters, Joel. n.d. “Joshua Glover: A Refugee of the 1850's.” Etobicoke Historical Society. Accessed August 25, 2020. http://www.etobicokehistorical.com/joshua-glover.html.
Impact of Glover's Rescue
Sherman Booth was a popular abolitionist and politician in the mid-1800s because of his role in the rescue of Joshua Glover in 1854.
According to the Fugitive Slave Act at the time, Booth's involvement in the rescue was illegal. Any civilians who prevented the arrest of a freedom seeker or provided them assistance, was subject to six months in jail and a $1000 fine. Additionally, a US Marshall was subject to a penalty if they lost a fugitive. The superior U.S. Marshall, Stephen Ableman, in response to this penalty, issued a warrant for Booth’s arrest. Several days later Booth was arrested.
Booth was released on bail after spending two months in jail. After his release, Booth surrendered to the US Marshall's in a calculated decision to test the constitutionality of the fugitive slave act in court. Booth and his lawyer successfully applied for a writ of habeas corpus in the Wisconsin court. On June 7, 1854, the judge ordered that Booth be released, finding the warrant of commitment defective and the fugitive slave law unconstitutional.
Source:
- “Booth, Sherman Miller 1812-1904.” 2012. Wisconsin Historical Society. August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1656.
Wisconsin State Court
Following the judge's decision, the U.S. Attorney petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a review to argue the constitutionality of the fugitive slave act before the state court.
Ableman v. Booth was heard before the full Wisconsin Supreme Court in late June 1854. The U.S. Attorney argued that federal judges, not the Wisconsin Supreme Court, had the ultimate say in federal cases associated with the constitution and that federal and state courts have no power to discharge each other’s prisoners upon habeas corpus. However, Wisconsin Supreme Court on July 19, 1854, unanimously approved the previous decision releasing Booth due to the writ not explicitly stating Booth had aided a “fugitive from labor.”
The U.S. Federal District Court indicted Booth for aiding, assisting and abetting the escape of Glover. Booth was then tried in federal court, found guilty, sentenced to a short term fined $1,000.
U.S. Supreme Court
Meanwhile, Wisconsin decision was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1859. The U.S. Supreme Court justice, Roger Taney, wrote the unanimous decision that stated that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had claimed authority over federal law which was an abuse of state power. The Court maintained that a state does not hold the power to annul any conviction under federal law. Additionally, the Court held that under Article III of the Constitution all cases under and regarding the Constitution are the jurisdiction of the federal courts, not state courts. As a result of this decision, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin decision was overturned.
Booth’s short term of imprisonment ended but he stayed in jail in Milwaukee because he refused to pay his fines. There were many attempts to free Booth from jail. Although the ninth attempt was successful, Booth was recaptured and imprisoned again a few months later. In January 1861, U.S. President James Buchanan pardoned Booth in one of the final acts of his Presidency.
Sherman Booth went on to campaign in support of the Union during the Civil War through lectures and writings.
Source:
- “Booth, Sherman Miller 1812-1904.” 2012. Wisconsin Historical Society. August 3, 2012. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS1656.
Map Description: The map displays the location of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. where the Ableman v. Booth case was heard. The location is displayed using a green map point. The U.S. Supreme Court is located just across the street from the U.S. Capitol Building on 1st Street Northeast.
Joshua Glover in Modern Times
Glover's legacy continues into modern times.
Map Description: The map displays an area of Etobicoke, Ontario where the Joshua Glover Memorial Park is located. The park location is displayed using a black star. A small pop-up appears on the location that reads " Glover Memorial Park."
Credits
This Story Map was created by the National Park Service Network to Freedom.
Please visit our website for more information.