Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, 110, no. 2 (Summer 2008) .
Notes
Bibliography: p. 59 - 61.
Summary
The Gap gang was blamed for virtually every crime committed in this part of southeastern Pennsylvania - with good reason. From petty theft, armed robbery, arson, to counterfeiting, the loose-knit group terrorized the community, particularly its African - American members after 1850. This article focuses on the gang's pursuit of run-away slaves for profit.With the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, slave owners were emboldened in pursuing slaves who had escaped across the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania. The law required civilians to assist in returning slaves to their owners, and it became profitable for the Gap Gang to sell former slaves in Pennsylvania back across the Mason Dixon line to slave owners. The gang developed a reputation for pursuing this line of business. This article also speaks of the formation of an African American Self Defense League in Lancaster County which meant to resist attempted captures of run-away slaves.
