Newport Fugitive Slave Rescue

Newport Fugitive Slave Rescue is a Pennsylvania historical marker in Perry County, dedicated 2015.

Perry County · dedicated 2015 · Market St. (Rt. 34) & 4th St.

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In July 1841, three Md. slaves, Alick, Tom, and Ben, were pursued to Newport by bounty hunters. While Ben drowned as he attempted to cross the Juniata River, the other two were captured. Several Newport citizens aided the fugitives' escape, and in 1842 six of them were fined in a federal court for their actions. The event is an example of growing tensions between the North and the South prior to the Civil War that led to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.

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

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On the National Register nearby

Newport Historic District320 ft

Places within about 300 feet of this marker that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nearby listing is not always the marker's own subject.