On September 11, 1851, at Christiana, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the African-American community rose up in arms against attempted enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. While attempting to save four men from the federal posse charged to re-enslave them, rioters killed the Maryland farmer who was trying to reclaim his "property."
Treason at Christiana, September 11, 1951 The true story of a Battle of Freedom on the Underground Railroad that Rocked the Nation, Threatened Secesion of States from the Union and Brought a Charge of Treason by the Federal Government Against 38 Americans
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography ; v. 142, no. 2
Summary
"This article discusses the 1809 conviction of Susanna Cox for first-degree murder following the death of her newborn son. It uses sources from history and oral tradition in order to examine the case's long- and short-term ramifications for political and social interpretations of capital punishment within Pennsylvania. I explore the impact one case could have on legal history, the treatment of accused and convicted women, issues of linguistic separation within the courtroom, and changing legislative patterns within the commonwealth. These factors contributed to the case's ongoing impact on regional and ethnic social memory."
