slaveryto
freedom
A series of pages exploring
various aspects of enslavement in Pennsylvania
Assaults, Murders and Arson
Violence committed by Enslaved People Against Enslavers in Pennsylvania
Resistance by enslaved persons to their enslavement took many forms, with the most extreme being an act of violence against their enslaver or their enslaver's property. Accounts of assaults, killings and arson were typically reported in Pennsylvania newspapers and are often documented in official records of county courts. Such episodes of violence increased the fears, and apprehensions of enslavers toward the enlaved persons with whom they lived and worked.
Each link below is a story or account of violence committed by or suspected of having been committed by an enslaved person against their enslaver.