The Liberation of Jane Johnson

The Liberation of Jane Johnson is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Philadelphia County, dedicated 2009.

Philadelphia County · dedicated 2009 · 211 S Columbus Blvd., Penn's Landing near Walnut St. pedestrian walkway and entrance to Independence

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In 1855, an enslaved woman and her two sons found freedom, aided by abolitionists William Still, Passmore Williamson, and other Underground Railroad activists. They escaped from their Southern owner while being transported through Philadelphia and settled later in Boston. The incident, which occurred nearby, and Williamson's subsequent imprisonment and famous trial attracted national attention, further intensifying the North-South conflict.

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under a mile from where William Gabby lived in the 1760s

what this marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years here

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Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

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