A Black community in Christiana, Pennsylvania, defends fugitives from slavery against a Maryland slaveholder and federal marshals, killing the slaveholder.
At a Glance
- Date
- 11 September 1851
- Location
- Christiana, Pennsylvania
- Key people
- William Parker
- Category
- Abolition & Slavery
- Source
- Federal treason trial records (1851) · National Park Service
What It Meant Then
It was a dramatic armed defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act.
What It Means Now
The acquittal of the defendants emboldened the abolitionist cause.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Christiana Resistance.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-christiana-resistance/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Christiana Resistance. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-christiana-resistance/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Christiana Resistance.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-christiana-resistance/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.