Storyboard with vignettes about the tragic and tempestuous life of Anthony Burns and his central role in the furor surrounding the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act (later repealed in 1868).

You'll see a plaque here, dedicated to Anthony Burns, who was buried here in 1862.

He was a central figure in the furor surrounding the controversial 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.

Anthony Burns was born in 1834, in Virginia. He was born a slave. But he had taught himself to read and write, had become a preacher, and was even allowed to take on additional jobs - as long as he paid his Master a fee. But in 1853 he escaped and fled to Boston.

However his new-found freedom was short-lived. The passing of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act meant that the law was no longer on his side, even though Boston was in a so-called Free State. Now, it was against the law to offer help to escaping slaves.

Burns was arrested one year after his escape. The case attracted national publicity. Abolitionists came to his defense, and demonstrators packed the streets. Federal troops were sent in to quell mass rioting, and Burns was tried, and sent back to his master. His was the last trial of a fugitive slave in Massachusetts.

One year later, his Boston friends, with the help of the Reverend L.A. Grimes, had raised thirteen hundred dollars to purchase his freedom. He was free man again. This time he made his way to St. Catharines, where he served as a preacher until his early death from tuberculosis. He was just 28 years old. He is buried in this cemetery.

Cheque to Rev. L.A. Grimes for partial purchase of
Anthony Burns from his slave owner, 1855.

Reverend Anthony Burns 1834-1862. Ontario's Historical Plaques. http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques/Plaque_Niagara47.html

Anthony Burns. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Burns