History at Sunset: Boston Resists the Fugitive Slave Act

On June 2, 1854, more than 1,500 troops marched Anthony Burns down State Street to T wharf where he was taken aboard a steamer bound for Virginia. The arrest, trial, and re-enslavement of Anthony Burns was the last time an enslaver captured and returned a freedom seeker to slavery from Boston.

This tour traces paths of resistance by Boston residents as they fought to protect freedom seekers from the Fugitive Slave Act.

The tour will cover approximately 1.25 miles over uneven surfaces, moderate hills, and cross multiple intersections in a highly populated area.

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Host or Publisher National Parks of Boston