Where Did Delia Webster Help In Underground Railroad? (Solution)

Conductor on the Underground Railroad. Delia Webster was a teacher and abolitionist in Kentucky, where she was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Tried and convicted for helping runaway slaves in their escape to freedom, she was the first woman imprisoned for assisting fugitive slaves.

Who was most famous for helping with the Underground Railroad?

Harriet Tubman is perhaps the best-known figure related to the underground railroad. She made by some accounts 19 or more rescue trips to the south and helped more than 300 people escape slavery.

Who all helped in the Underground Railroad?

8 Key Contributors to the Underground Railroad

• Isaac Hopper. Abolitionist Isaac Hopper.
• John Brown. Abolitionist John Brown, c.
• Harriet Tubman.
• Thomas Garrett.
• William Still.
• Levi Coffin.
• Elijah Anderson.
• Thaddeus Stevens.

Why was Kentucky important in the Underground Railroad?

Given the geography of American slavery, Kentucky became central to the Underground Railroad as the key border state in the trans-Appalachian west,—and the Ohio River became a veritable “River Jordan” for black freedom seekers.

Who financed the Underground Railroad?

5: Buying Freedom Meanwhile, so-called “stockholders” raised money for the Underground Railroad, funding anti-slavery societies that provided ex-slaves with food, clothing, money, lodging and job-placement services. At times, abolitionists would simply buy an enslaved person’s freedom, as they did with Sojourner Truth.

What cities did the Underground Railroad go through?

In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, settlements along the Detroit and Niagara Rivers were important terminals of the Underground Railroad. By 1861, some 30,000 freedom seekers resided in what is now Ontario, having escaped slave states like Kentucky and Virginia.

What was William Still’s role in the Underground Railroad?

He became an active agent on the Underground Railroad, assisting fugitive Africans who came to Philadelphia. With the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Still was appointed chairman of the society’s revived Vigilance Committee that aided and supported fugitive Africans.

What states was the Underground Railroad in?

Most of the enslaved people helped by the Underground Railroad escaped border states such as Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. In the deep South, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 made capturing escaped enslaved people a lucrative business, and there were fewer hiding places for them.

How did Fairfield help slaves escape?

Posing as a slaveholder, a slave trader, and sometimes a peddler, Fairfield was able to gain the confidence of whites, which made it easier for him to lead runaway slaves to freedom. One of his most impressive feats was freeing 28 slaves by staging a funeral procession.

How did the Quakers help the Underground Railroad?

The Quaker campaign to end slavery can be traced back to the late 1600s, and many played a pivotal role in the Underground Railroad. In 1776, Quakers were prohibited from owning slaves, and 14 years later they petitioned the U.S. Congress for the abolition of slavery.

Where is the Underground Railroad in Kentucky?

Kentucky was the last state enslaved peoples needed to pass through on the Underground Railroad’s northern route to freedom. One of the hidden “stations” on the Underground Railroad was located at Lexington’s St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church on North Upper Street.

Did Henry Bibb use the Underground Railroad?

In 1837, he snuck away, leaving his family behind, and managed to cross the Ohio River, making it to the free state of Indiana. From there, he connected with the Underground Railroad, which led him to Canada. In his effort to escape from slavery, Henry Bibb traveled from Kentucky to Canada.

Did the underground railroad run through Indiana?

The Underground Railroad in Indiana was part of a larger, unofficial, and loosely-connected network of groups and individuals who aided and facilitated the escape of runaway slaves from the southern United States. An eastern route from southeastern Indiana counties followed stations along the Indiana-Ohio border.

How did Harriet Tubman find out about the Underground Railroad?

The Underground Railroad and Siblings Tubman first encountered the Underground Railroad when she used it to escape slavery herself in 1849. Following a bout of illness and the death of her owner, Tubman decided to escape slavery in Maryland for Philadelphia.

Why did Harriet Tubman wear a bandana?

As was the custom on all plantations, when she turned eleven, she started wearing a bright cotton bandana around her head indicating she was no longer a child. She was also no longer known by her “basket name”, Araminta. Now she would be called Harriet, after her mother.

Delia Webster – Wikipedia

Delia Webster was an abolitionist who lived in the nineteenth century. Sisters Mary Jane (front left), Martha (behind left), and Betsey (back right) are shown with Delia (front left) (back right). “Delia Ann Webster (December 17, 1817 – January 18, 1904) was an American teacher, novelist and entrepreneur who, alongside Calvin Fairbank, assisted several slaves, including Lewis Hayden and his wife Harriet and their son Joseph to escape to Ohio. Delia Ann Webster was born in Kentucky and died in Ohio (and then to Canada).

Abolitionists from Boston helped Webster purchase a property near the Ohio River in Trimble County, Kentucky, and Webster used it as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

She was arrested a second time for her attempts to assist escaped slaves, but the charges against her were dropped and the case was dismissed.

She lost it to creditors since she was unable to pay for its bills and her loan.

In 1996, she was recognized as one of the Kentucky Women Remembered for her contributions to the state.

Early life

Delia Webster was born on December 17, 1817, in Vergennes, Vermont, to Benajah Webster and his wife, Esther; she was the tenth of ten children born to them. Webster received his education at the Vergennes Classical School. She began working as a schoolteacher when she was 12 years old. Webster grew up in the vicinity of the farmRokeby, which served as a stopover for passengers on the Underground Railroad. As a National Historic Landmark, the farm has been recognized for its significance. In the spring of 1835, she was hired as a teacher at a local school.

In the town of Oberlin, a “hotbed of abolitionism” flourished, and supporters operated stations on the Underground Railroad, which assisted escaped slaves on their journey to freedom.

Lexington, Kentucky

In 1843, Webster traveled to the city of Lexington, Kentucky. She chose to remain in Lexington to teach painting, and she was a founding member of the Lexington Female Academy. In a 1921 article published in the Indiana Magazine of History, Webster’s abolitionist activities in Lexington were described: She grew to be despised and dreaded by her slave masters as well as feared by her own people. Despite the fact that no evidence could be found against her, she was continually under suspicion and exposed to threats that were mixed in with a great deal of harassment.

1. Calvin Fairbank, a Methodist clergyman, was a frequent collaborator of hers.
2. Calvin Fairbanks stepped in to aid them and transported them by wagon.
3. They were each put through their paces independently.
4. In the request of the penitentiary warden, Newton B.
5. Crittenden granted Webster clemency on February 24, 1845, at the state capitol in Springfield, Massachusetts.
6. On December 17, 1844, a Special Term of the Fayette County Court was held, with Richard A.
7. The case was Commonwealth versus Delia A.
8. Co.Louis was the son of Lewis Hayden and his wife, and he was the property of Patterson Bain /Patrick Bain at the time of his death.

However, the jury of Kentucky noblemen who returned the verdict – all of whom were married and had a long history of forgiving women for any reason – petitioned the governor to pardon Miss Delia on the grounds that she belonged to a sect that could do no wrong – and should not be punished as a result of her membership.

Delia Ann Webster’s full name is Delia Ann Webster (1845).

The Trial of Miss Delia A. Webster: A Documentary History Following her release from prison in February 1845, Webster returned to live with her parents. Kentucky Jurisprudence: A History of the Trial of Miss Delia A. Webster, a book she authored about the events, is available online (1845).

Vermont, New York, and Indiana

During the three years that she lived with her parents in Vermont, she worked as a teacher, but she found the hard winters to be detrimental to her health. She subsequently relocated to New York, where she taught school and was active in the Women’s Suffrage movement while seeking relief from her bronchitis by breathing salt-water air. Due to her health and the urgings of others, she moved to the south, settling in Madison, Indiana, in 1849, and raising a family there. Kentucky was only a few miles away from her new home, across the Ohio River.

After leaving the Craigs’ job, Webster traveled to the eastern United States to mingle with other abolitionists and abolitionists.

She began working on the Underground Railroad in 1853, and she has never looked back.

Trimble County, Kentucky

In 1854, Webster purchased a 600-acre property along the Ohio River in Trimble County, Kentucky, and named it after his father. The acquisition was partially supported by abolitionists in the northern United States. It was her farm, which she dubbed Mt. Orison, that was transformed into an Underground Railroad stop. She employed liberated slaves to work on her land as agricultural laborers. Kentucky slaveowners accused Webster of assisting their slaves’ escapes and threatened her that she, her crops, and her land would be harmed if she continued to reside in the region.

• Craig became enraged by her behavior and attempted to have her arrested.
• She was apprehended and taken to jail, but she managed to escape.
• She was apprehended and held in Indiana pending a trial under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which was passed in the state.
• Newton Craig was called as a witness by the prosecution in the case.
• Craig was shot in the back by a guy identified as Mr.
• Craig’s injuries were not life-threatening, and he decided not to pursue legal action against the gunman.
• Following her inability to repay her loan payments, the “Webster Farm Association” was established by members of the anti-slavery movement in Boston, Massachusetts, to assist her.
• Through the Civil War, she and Harriet Beecher Stowe continued to work as members of the Underground Railroad and to provide care for wounded troops, with Harriet Beecher Stowe.
• However, in November 1866, arsonists set fire to her home, destroying everything inside as well as the building materials.

“Over the course of several years, arsonists torched seventeen structures, four barns, and eventually Webster’s home.” She was forced to surrender her property in October 1869 because she lacked sufficient financial resources.

Indiana and Iowa

Webster relocated to Madison, Indiana, where he resumed his teaching career. Due to discriminatory policies against African American children after World War II, she taught children at a school that was formed in an African American Baptist Church on 5th Street, where she lived. For a period of time, she wrote and taught. Webster died on January 18, 1904, in Iowa, where she had been living with her niece, Dr. Alice Goodrich, at the time of her passing.

Legacy and honors

In honor of Webster, the “Petticoat Abolitionist,” a Kentucky Highway Marker was erected in Trimble County at the intersection of US 421 and KY 1255 to commemorate his achievements. Delia Webster operated a ‘underground railroad’ station a mile west on land purchased with cash donated by Northern abolitionists in 1854, which was known as the Underground Railroad Station. Slaveholders brought legal action against her. She was imprisoned because she refused to leave the state of Kentucky. Following her release, she was charged for the second time after escaping to Indiana.

Also in Bedford, Kentucky, there is a roadside sign near the Trimble County Jail on Courthouse Square that commemorates her as the jail’s most renowned inmate.

Her portrait, along with the portraits of other notable women from Kentucky, hangs in the West Wing of the Kentucky State Capitol.

Notes

1. In commemoration of Webster, the “Petticoat Abolitionist,” a Kentucky Highway Marker was erected in Trimble County at the intersection of US 421 and KY 1255, where he lived. Delia Webster operated a “underground railroad” station a mile west on land purchased with monies donated by Northern abolitionists in 1854. An accusation against her was lodged by slaveholders. She was imprisoned after she refused to leave Kentucky. In the aftermath of her release, she was indicted for the second time after escaping to the United States. She had already received a prison sentence in 1844 for similar acts in Lexington. The Trimble County Jail, located in Bedford’s Courthouse Square, has a roadside plaque commemorating her as the county’s most renowned inmate, according to the marker. The Kentucky Women Remembered project selected her as one of the honorees in 1996. Along with other notable women from Kentucky, her image sits in the West Wing of the Kentucky State Capitol.

References

1. North Kentucky Views presents “Delia Webster.” The original version of this article was published on December 31, 2013. This was retrieved on May 1, 2013
2. Abcdefghijklm John E. Kleber is an American businessman and philanthropist (18 May 1992). The official encyclopedia of Kentucky. Retrieved on 1 May 2013 from University Press of Kentucky, p. 939, ISBN 978-0-8131-2883-2. Gerald L. Smith, Karen Cotton McDaniel, and John A. Hardin are the authors (July 16, 2015). An encyclopedia of African American history and culture in Kentucky. p. 521, University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 978-0-8131-6066-5
3. Randolph Paul Runyon, p. 521, University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 978-0-8131-6066-5 (January 13, 2015). Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad is a historical fiction novel. University Press of Kentucky, p. 70, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0
4. Frances K. Eisan, p. 70, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0 (1998). Is he a saint or a demon? The Legendary Delia Webster Opposing Slavery, Pace University Press, p. 209.ISBN0761810331
5. William H. Webster, The Legendary Delia Webster Opposing Slavery, Pace University Press, p. 209.ISBN0761810331
6. (1915). An illustrated history and genealogy of the Connecticut family of Governor John Webster, with several portraits and drawings. Rochester, New York: E.R. Andrews Printing Co., pp.303–304
7. The Enterprise and Vermonter, pp.303–304
8. The Vermont Historical Society has a notice of death for Esther Webster, wife of Benajah Webster, who died in Ferrisburg, Vermont, on January 17, 1870, on page 2 of the Vergennes, Vermont, newspaper. Retrieved from Frances K. Eisan’s website on March 31, 2017. (1998). Is he a saint or a demon? Isn’t Delia Webster a Legend? : The Legendary Delia Webster Opposing Slavery, by Pace University Press, pp. 34–35.ISBN0761810331
9. Abcdefghijkl Brad Asher is an American actor and director (30 August 2006). Kentucky. Interlink Books, p.145, ISBN 978-1-56656-638-4, accessed 1 May 2013
10. AbCynthia D. Bittinger, Kentucky. Interlink Books, p.145, ISBN 978-1-56656-638-4, accessed 1 May 2013
11. (2012). Vermont Women, Native Americans, and African Americans: Bringing Their Stories into the Light of History ISBN 978-1-60949-262-5 from The History Press. Page 12. 1 May 2013
12. Retrieved 1 May 2013
13. The National Historic Landmarks Program of the National Park Service has designated Rokeby as a national historic landmark. On September 24, 2012, the original version of this article was archived. It was retrieved on May 1, 2013
14. AbGeorge Streiby Cottman and Christopher Bush Coleman, as well as Logan Esarey (1921). Indiana Magazine of History, vol. 28, no. 2, p. 281. Robinson, retrieved on May 1, 2013
15. (1997). Black Civil Rights Movements in the United States. abGeorge Streiby Cottman
16. Christopher Bush Coleman
17. Logan Esarey (1921).Indiana Magazine of History. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-415-91222-8. Retrieved1 May2013
18. AbThe Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-415-91222-8. Retrieved1 May2013
19. AbThe Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY. Case of Miss Webster
20. James Lane Allen
21. 17 January 1845, page 2 (1911). Aftermath, the second installment of “A Kentucky Cardinal.” 70
22. AbcdRandolph Paul Runyon, p. 70
23. Macmillan Co., p. 70
24. (January 13, 2015). Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad is a historical fiction novel. UofK Press (University of Kentucky Press), p. 125, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0
25. Delia Ann Webster’s full name is Delia Ann Webster (1845). With Miscellaneous Remarks, Including Her Views on American Slavery – Kentucky Jurisprudence: A History of the Trial of Miss Delia A. Webster: At Lexington, Kentucky, Dec’r 17-21, 1844 Before the Hon. Richard Buckner on a Charge of Aiding Slaves to Escape from that Commonwealth – with Miscellaneous Remarks, Including Her Views on American Slavery H.W. Blaisdell was the printer, and Frances K. Eisan was the designer (1998). Is he a saint or a demon? The Legendary Delia Webster Taking a Stand Against Slavery. Pace University Press, p. 167, ISBN 07618331
26. Abcdef Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Vermont, by Michelle Arnosky Sherburne, published on August 6, 2013. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, p. PT 104, ISBN 978-1-62584-494-1
27. Randolph Paul Runyon, p. PT 104, ISBN 978-1-62584-494-1 (January 13, 2015). Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad is a historical fiction novel. 178, 206, 239–240, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0
28. Frances K. Eisan, University Press of Kentucky, p. 178, 206, 239–240, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0 (1998). Is he a saint or a demon? The Legendary Delia Webster Opposing Slavery. Pace University Press. p. 91.ISBN0761810331
29. AbGeorge Streiby Cottman
30. Logan Esarey. The Legendary Delia Webster Opposing Slavery. Pace University Press. p. 91.ISBN0761810331
31. Ab (1921). Pages 283–286 of the Indiana Magazine of History. Michelle Arnosky Sherburne (August 6, 2013). Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Vermont. Retrieved 1 May 2013. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated, PT 105, ISBN 978-1-62584-494-1
32. Mimi O’Malley, PT 105, ISBN 978-1-62584-494-1
33. (May 3, 2011). It happened on the 2nd of February in Kentucky. p. 66, ISBN 978-0-7627-6885-1
34. Frances K. Eisan, p. 66, ISBN 978-0-7627-6885-1
35. (1998). Is he a saint or a demon? The Legendary Delia Webster Taking a Stand Against Slavery. Death notice for Delia Webster published in The Enterprise and Vermonter, Vergennes, Vermont, on January 28, 1904, page 5. ISBN 07618110331
36. Phyllis Codling McLaughlin is a well-known author (February 9, 2015). Trimble County. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 7.ISBN978-1-4396-4972-5
37. Randolph Paul Runyon. Trimble County. Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 7.ISBN978-1-4396-4972-5
38. (January 13, 2015). Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad is a historical fiction novel. Page 221, University of Kentucky Press, ISBN 978-0-8131-4841-0 (with a bibliography)
39. Melba Porter Hay, Dianne Wells, and Thomas H. Appleton are the authors of this work (1 March 2002). Highway Markers in Kentucky: A Guide to Their Historical Significance. Publisher: University Press of Kentucky. Page number: 104. ISBN: 978-0-916968-29-8. “Petticoat Abolitionist marker (picture)”, which was retrieved on May 1, 2013. Nostalgiaville is a place to visit. On June 30, 2013, the original version of this article was archived. Obtainable on May 1, 2013
40. Melba Porter Hay, Dianne Wells, Thomas H. Appleton, Jr., and Thomas H. Appleton are among those who have contributed to this work (April 6, 2002). Highway Markers in Kentucky: A Guide to Their Historical Significance. “Kentucky Women Remembered Exhibit,” University Press of Kentucky, p. 223, ISBN 0-916968-29-4
41. “Kentucky Women Remembered Exhibit.” KWHP stands for the Kentucky Women’s History Project. Obtainable on April 4, 2017

Further reading

• Delia Webster is a fictional character created by author Delia Webster (1845). Kentucky Jurisprudence (Kentucky Jurisprudence). a History of the Trial of Miss Delia A. Webster, held in Lexington, Kentucky, from December 17th to December 21st, 1844 Vergennes: E.W. Blaisdell, ISBN 9781275088467, LCCN94840931
• Helen D. Irvin, ISBN 9781275088467, LCCN94840931 (1 November 2009). Women in the state of Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 978-0-8131-9345-8
• Richard D. Sears, University Press of Kentucky, ISBN 978-0-8131-9345-8 (August 1993). Those who fought for abolition in Kentucky during the era of slavery (1854-1864) were refugees seeking freedom. Publisher: Edwin Mellen Press, ISBN 978-0-7734-9309-4. Description: 1st of May, 2013
• Retrieved 1st of May, 2013

External links

• There are many women in Kentucky history who should be honored during Women’s History Month, including Delia Webster, who may not be well-known to readers of history books but who deserves to be remembered. While working as a conductor for the Underground Railroad (UGR), Delia Webster was forced to put her life in danger several times as she guided enslaved individuals in Kentucky on their journey to freedom. Webster was born on December 17, 1817, in Vergennes, Vermont, to a family of four sisters who were raised at a farm that served as a rest stop for travelers on the Underground Railroad. Vermont was the first state to outlaw slavery, thanks to its own constitution, which was adopted in 1777. Webster acquired a foundational education in her hometown before transferring to Oberlin College to pursue her academic goals. Oberlin was well-known for its abolitionist stance, which more than likely influenced Webster’s decision to continue her attempts to aid in the Underground Railroad. In 1842, she traveled to Kentucky with the Spencers, who were a preacher and his wife from Oberlin College, to teach painting workshops. It became so popular that the Spencers and Webster decided to create the Lexington Academy for young females as a result of their efforts. Webster was left in command of the Academy after the Spencers had gone. When she teamed up with a Reverend Calvin Fairbank to assist Lewis Hayden, a waiter at the Lexington Phoenix Hotel, and his wife and kid, this marked the beginning of Webster’s first actions as a conductor in her own right. At a time when Lexington was engaged with the Fall horse races, Webster and Fairbank scooped up the Hayden Family and transported them all the way to Maysville, Ky., from whence the enslaved family was transferred to Rev. John Rankin in Ripley, Ohio, where they remained until their freedom. Rankin was a well-known United Grain Railroad conductor, and he continued to assist the family on their northward trek. Webster and Hayden were apprehended and prosecuted in the Fayette Circuit Court for “aiding and persuading slaves to flee their owners” while on their way back to Lexington. Webster was sentenced to two years in prison, although she was only held for four weeks due to widespread public anger at the idea of imprisoning a woman. Fairbank, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, and was condemned to a five-year sentence in the state penitentiary. Governor John Crittenden granted him clemency in 1849 after he had completed four years of his sentence in hard labor till his release. Webster went to New England for a brief while before returning to Indiana in 1845 and purchasing a six hundred acre property in Trimble County, practically right over the river from Madison, which was a major route for the Underground Railroad. Once slaves in the Trimble County region began to disappear, local slave owners got increasingly enraged by Webster’s well-known actions in the United Grand Alliance (UGA). The slave owners rode out to Webster’s property to make their demands and read a resolution ordering her to leave the state. About 50 slave owners were there. On a chilly, dismal, and wet day, Webster invited the group into her home so they could be warm and dry. Their aggressiveness was slightly subdued as a result of her actions. After around 45 minutes, a committee member took the initiative and read the resolution to her. She turned her back on the audience, chastising them for their cowardice in behaving as a mob. The troop dispersed, with their tails tucked behind their backs in some places. When the “mob” returned a month later, they threatened to burn down Webster’s house and other buildings, damage her crops and cattle, as well as assail her if she did not leave immediately. Six days later, the sheriff and his posse returned to her place of residence. She was brought into custody and lodged at the Trimble County Jail. She was forced to spend many terrible weeks in the primitive jailhouse during a particularly cold snap, and the ordeal eventually convinced her that she needed to leave her farm. She was scheduled to be indicted again a few months later, but she managed to flee over the river to Madison. Despite the fact that she was now somewhat isolated from Kentucky, she continued to run her farm in Trimble County until it was sold in 1868. She later relocated to Iowa, where she died in 1904 at the house of her niece. You may reach Nancy at the following email address: [email protected]

Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad

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Description

Randolph Paul Runyon follows the trail of the first woman imprisoned for helping fugitive slaves and delves into the mysteries surrounding her life and work in this engrossing novel. Calvin Fairbank, a Methodist preacher from Oberlin College, invited Delia Webster to accompany him for a Saturday drive in the country in September 1844, when she was away from her teaching duties at Lexington Female Academy. After completing their journey, their passengers-Lewis Hayden and his family-remained in southern Ohio, where they had purchased a ticket to go on the Underground Railroad.

1. She was sentenced to the state penitentiary in Frankfort, where she met the warden, Newton Craig.
2. Hayden eventually found freedom in Boston, where he rose to prominence as a successful merchant.
3. Webster, the nexus at which these people’s lives come together, continues to be a mystery.
4. As a result of her tenacious pursuit of every historical lead, Runyon has been able to lend color and shape to the story of these interesting persons.
5. Runyon’s gripping story uncovers the intrigues that surrounded the abolitionist Delia Webster, who was at times afraid to speak out against slavery.
6. Webster and her colleagues.
7. Renehan, Jr., Jr., Ed.

-Filson Club History Quarterly, published quarterly This Victorian melodrama is written in the style of a detective novel.

-H-Net Ratings and Reviews An exhilarating and dramatic retelling of the life and times of a pioneering female American pioneer.

It demonstrates the difficulties of living inside a group while also breaking the rules of that community.

.

-Ohioana Quarterly, a quarterly publication A wonderfully written account of a deeply felt narrative about love.

Runyon is the quintessential example of the historian as investigator. —Thomas H. Appleton Jr., Jr., Jr. It possesses nearly all of the elements necessary for a compelling tale. Close calls, spurned love, sacrifices, and retribution are all part of the story. -Some Random Thoughts on the Past

Publisher

The University Press of Kentucky is a scholarly publishing house based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Keywords

Delia Ann Webster is a woman who lives in the United States. abolitionists, underground railroad, antislavery movements, antislavery activities in the United States, Kentucky

Recommended Citation

Randolph Paul Runyon’s “Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad” is a book on Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad (1996). History of the United States.11.

Petticoat Abolitionist

Delia Webster, an abolitionist who lived in Trimble County, is commemorated by Historical Marker 1099. Delia Webster, who was born in Vermont and educated at Oberlin College in Ohio, was tried, convicted, and imprisoned in Kentucky in 1844 for assisting slaves fleeing from the city of Lexington. In spite of having served time in jail, Webster remained adamant about continuing her anti-slavery work. She purchased a farm in Trimble County, Ohio, in the winter of 1852, which was situated on a hill overlooking the Ohio River.

• According to an 1854 resolution passed by a local community meeting in Bedford, “because it is well known that Miss Delia A.
• Webster leave the State.” She was arrested because she refused to give up her property, which was allegedly used to house runaway slaves, and she refused to give up her land.
• She was released on the basis of a technicality and returned to her farm.
• This time, Webster was able to evade capture by escaping over the Ohio River to the state of Indiana.
• She was acquitted, and by 1855, she had returned to her home in New England.
• According to reports, Webster never attempted to re-enter Kentucky.
• She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad: Randolph Paul Runyon, William Albert Davis: 9780813109749: Amazon.com: Books

“In this enthralling account of a petticoat abolitionist, Delia Webster is at the heart of a compelling story of the Underground Railroad,” says the author. Quarterly of the Appalachian Mountains “Runyon’s gripping story uncovers the intrigues that surrounded the abolitionist Delia Webster, who was at times afraid to speak out against slavery. The author, Runyon, has revealed a fascinating, little-known chapter in the anti-slavery movement by putting together the complicated jigsaw of Ms. Webster and her colleagues.” Edward J.

is a lawyer who practices in the United States.

With a tough and complicated amount of facts to work with, Runyon has constructed a compelling and tragic narrative while remaining detached from the material.” H-Net Ratings and Reviews A “thrilling and spectacular reenactment of the life and times of a pioneering American lady,” according to the New York Times.

It demonstrates the difficulties of living inside a group while also breaking the rules of that community.” This article appeared in the Library Journal.

All the elements of adventure, romance, and intrigue are there in this novel.” Ohioana Quarterly is a publication dedicated to the state of Ohio.

Runyon is the quintessential example of the historian as investigator.” Thomas H.

Appleton, Jr. is an American author and poet. “It possesses nearly all of the elements necessary for a compelling tale. Close calls, spurned love, sacrifices, and retribution are all part of the story.” Random Thoughts on the Historical Period

From the Back Cover

“Delia Webster, a petticoat abolitionist, is at the heart of this novel of the Underground Railroad, which is told through the eyes of Delia Webster. Randolph Paul Runyon follows the trail of the first woman imprisoned for helping fugitive slaves and delves into the mysteries surrounding her life and activities as he uncovers the truth about her.” -THE COVER OF THE BOOK.

Underground Railroad

Underground Railroad was a network of people, both black and white, who helped escaped enslaved persons from the southern United States by providing them with refuge and assistance. It came forth as a result of the convergence of numerous separate covert initiatives. Although the exact dates of its inception are unknown, it was active from the late 18th century until the Civil War, after which its attempts to weaken the Confederacy were carried out in a less-secretive manner until the Civil War ended.

Quaker Abolitionists

The Society of Friends (Quakers) is often regarded as the first organized group to actively assist escaped enslaved persons. In 1786, George Washington expressed dissatisfaction with Quakers for attempting to “liberate” one of his enslaved servants. Abolitionist and Quaker Isaac T. Hopper established a network in Philadelphia in the early 1800s to assist enslaved persons who were on the run from slavery. Abolitionist organisations founded by Quakers in North Carolina lay the basis for escape routes and safe havens for fugitive slaves during the same time period.

What Was the Underground Railroad?

The Underground Railroad was first mentioned in 1831, when an enslaved man named Tice Davids managed to escape from Kentucky into Ohio and his master blamed a “underground railroad” for assisting Davids in his liberation. When a fugitive slave called Jim was apprehended in 1839 in Washington, the press said that the guy confessed his plan to travel north along a “underground railroad to Boston” while under torture. The Vigilance Committees, which were established in New York in 1835 and Philadelphia in 1838 to safeguard escaped enslaved persons from bounty hunters, rapidly expanded their duties to include guiding enslaved individuals on the run.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Harriet Tubman and her fellow fugitives used the following strategies to escape through the Underground Railroad:

How the Underground Railroad Worked

The majority of enslaved persons aided by the Underground Railroad were able to flee to neighboring states like as Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 made catching fugitive enslaved persons a lucrative industry in the deep South, and there were fewer hiding places for them as a result of the Act. The majority of fugitive enslaved people were on their own until they reached specific places farther north. The escaping enslaved people were escorted by individuals known as “conductors.” Private residences, churches, and schools were also used as hiding places throughout the war.

The personnel in charge of running them were referred to as “stationmasters.” There were several well-traveled roads that ran west through Ohio and into Indiana and Iowa.

While some traveled north via Pennsylvania and into New England, or through Detroit on their route to Canada, others chose to travel south. The Little-Known Underground Railroad That Ran South to Mexico.

Fugitive Slave Acts

The Fugitive Slave Acts were a major cause for many fugitive slaves to flee to Canada. This legislation, which was passed in 1793, authorized local governments to catch and extradite fugitive enslaved individuals from inside the borders of free states back to their places of origin, as well as to penalize anybody who assisted the fleeing enslaved people. Personal Liberty Laws were introduced in certain northern states to fight this, but they were overturned by the Supreme Court in 1842. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was intended to reinforce the preceding legislation, which was perceived by southern states to be insufficiently enforced at the time of passage.

The northern states were still considered a danger zone for fugitives who had managed to flee.

Some Underground Railroad operators chose to station themselves in Canada and sought to assist fugitives who were arriving to settle in the country.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman was the most well-known conductor of the Underground Railroad during its heyday. When she and two of her brothers fled from a farm in Maryland in 1849, she was given the name Harriet (her married name was Tubman). She was born Araminta Ross, and she was raised as Harriet Tubman. They returned a couple of weeks later, but Tubman fled on her own again shortly after, this time making her way to the state of Pennsylvania. In following years, Tubman returned to the plantation on a number of occasions to rescue family members and other individuals.

Tubman was distraught until she had a vision of God, which led her to join the Underground Railroad and begin escorting other fugitive slaves to the Maryland state capital.

Frederick Douglass

In his house in Rochester, New York, former enslaved person and celebrated author Frederick Douglasshid fugitives who were assisting 400 escapees in their journey to freedom in Canada. Reverend Jermain Loguen, a former fugitive who lived in the adjacent city of Syracuse, assisted 1,500 escapees on their journey north. The Vigilance Committee was established in Philadelphia in 1838 by Robert Purvis, an escaped enslaved person who later became a trader. Josiah Henson, a former enslaved person and railroad operator, founded the Dawn Institute in Ontario in 1842 to assist fugitive slaves who made their way to Canada in learning the necessary skills to find work.

Agent,” according to the document.

John Parker was a free Black man living in Ohio who worked as a foundry owner and who used his rowboat to ferry fugitives over the Ohio River.

William Still was a notable Philadelphia citizen who was born in New Jersey to runaway slaves parents who fled to Philadelphia as children.

Who Ran the Underground Railroad?

The vast majority of Underground Railroad operators were regular individuals, including farmers and business owners, as well as preachers and religious leaders. Some affluent individuals were active, including Gerrit Smith, a billionaire who stood for president on two separate occasions. Smith acquired a full family of enslaved people from Kentucky in 1841 and freed them from their captivity. Levi Coffin, a Quaker from North Carolina, is credited with being one of the first recorded individuals to assist escaped enslaved persons.

Coffin stated that he had discovered their hiding spots and had sought them out in order to assist them in moving forward.

Coffin eventually relocated to Indiana and then Ohio, where he continued to assist fugitive enslaved individuals no matter where he was.

John Brown

Abolitionist John Brown worked as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and it was at this time that he founded the League of Gileadites, which was dedicated to assisting fleeing enslaved individuals in their journey to Canada. Abolitionist John Brown would go on to play a variety of roles during his life. His most well-known duty was conducting an assault on Harper’s Ferry in order to raise an armed army that would march into the deep south and free enslaved people at gunpoint. Ultimately, Brown’s forces were beaten, and he was executed for treason in 1859.

The year 1844, he formed a partnership with Vermont schoolteacher Delia Webster, and the two were jailed for assisting an escaped enslaved lady and her young daughter.

Charles Torrey was sentenced to six years in jail in Maryland for assisting an enslaved family in their attempt to flee through Virginia.

After being apprehended in 1844 while transporting a boatload of freed slaves from the Caribbean to the United States, Massachusetts sea captain Jonathan Walker was sentenced to prison for life.

John Fairfield of Virginia turned down the opportunity to assist in the rescue of enslaved individuals who had been left behind by their families as they made their way north.

He managed to elude capture twice.

End of the Line

Operation of the Underground Railroad came to an end in 1863, during the American Civil War. In actuality, its work was shifted aboveground as part of the Union’s overall campaign against the Confederate States of America. Once again, Harriet Tubman made a crucial contribution by organizing intelligence operations and serving as a commanding officer in Union Army efforts to rescue the liberated enslaved people who had been freed.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Harriet Tubman led a daring Civil War raid after the Underground Railroad was shut down.

Sources

Bound for Canaan: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad is a book about the Underground Railroad. Fergus Bordewich is a Scottish actor. A Biography of Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom Catherine Clinton is the first lady of the United States. Who Exactly Was in Charge of the Underground Railroad? ‘Henry Louis Gates’ is a pseudonym for Henry Louis Gates. The Underground Railroad’s History in New York is a little known fact. The Smithsonian Institution’s magazine. The Underground Railroad’s Dangerous Allure is well documented.

Delia Webster and the Underground Railroad

In this book, Delia Webster tells the story of white abolitionist Delia Webster, who was married to Harriet (Bell) Lewis Hayden, and their son Jo, as well as white abolitionist Reverend Calvin Fairbank, who was a Methodist clergyman during the time of the Civil War. * Governor John A. Andrew of Massachusetts, a white governor who raised the first regiment of enlisted men of color; * black freedom seeker Gilson Berry; * US Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, a white slave owner who is too often cast as an anti-slavery abolitionist in whitewashed history; * white abolitionists Levi Coffin and Laura Haviland; * black freedom seekers EllenWilliam Craft; * white abolitionist Frederick Douglass; * white The Bibliography is a treasure trove of information, possibly even more so than the actual book.

One thing I would have liked to have seen improved in the book is Runyon’s perspective as both a man and a white man; he sometimes opined, and I got the impression that he was underestimating Delia Webster’s intelligence (she was an extremely haughty, high brow lady if quotes from her own writing are any indication), and there was a tendency to focus on white savior roles without much acknowledgment of black agency.

Furthermore, there’s a lot of language scattered throughout the book that suggests Runyon hasn’t gone deep enough into dismantling and disrupting the ubiquitous racism that comes with being raised white and American; there’s a lot of doubting-black-people language throughout the book, such as “Lewis claims” rather than “Lewis wrote.”