Abolitionists storm a Boston courtroom and free Shadrach Minkins, a fugitive from slavery seized under the Fugitive Slave Act.
At a Glance
- Date
- 15 February 1851
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Key people
- Shadrach Minkins, Lewis Hayden
- Category
- Abolition & Slavery
- Source
- Federal court records (1851) · National Park Service
What It Meant Then
It was a dramatic act of defiance against federal slave-catching in the North.
What It Means Now
The rescue galvanized the abolitionist movement in New England.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Rescue of Shadrach Minkins.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-rescue-of-shadrach-minkins/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Rescue of Shadrach Minkins. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-rescue-of-shadrach-minkins/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Rescue of Shadrach Minkins.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-rescue-of-shadrach-minkins/.
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.