February 1851

Shadrach Minkins, a Virginia-born freedom-seeker, was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act. Black Bostonians led by Lewis Hayden stormed the courthouse, overpowered federal marshals, and escorted Minkins to Montreal. President Fillmore called it 'treason.' The rescue became a celebrated symbol of organized Black collective defiance.

Shadrach Minkins, a Virginia-born freedom-seeker working as a waiter in Boston, was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act. A group of Black Bostonians led by Lewis Hayden and the Boston Vigilance Committee stormed the courthouse, overpowered federal marshals, and carried Minkins to safety. He was escorted via Underground Railroad to Montreal, Canada. President Fillmore called the rescue 'treason'; Secretary of State Webster called it a national disgrace.