On this day in Labor History the year was 1851.
That was the day that William Henry, a black cooper, or barrel maker who went by the name of Jerry was arrested in Syracuse, New York.
First he was told that he was being arrested for theft.
But then he learned that federal marshals had arrested him for violating the Fugitive Slave Law, passed the year before.
Jerry had escaped slavery in Missouri.
The anti-slavery Liberty Party was holding its convention in nearby church.
When word came about Jerry’s arrest, a crowd rushed to release him.
Once released he was quickly recaptured and returned to custody.
But then a large crowd, numbering more than 2,000 gathered to free Jerry from the office where he was being held.
According to research done by the Syracuse University Library, the first person into the office was J. M. Clappe, an iron worker likely chosen for his brawn.
The crowd was able to free Jerry and hide him until he could escape into Canada.
Clappe also had to flee to Canada to avoid arrest, along with eight others.
Nineteen people were indicted for participating in the rescue.
Only one person was convicted, and he died before he could appeal.
In turn, the abolitionists won an indictment against the marshal who had arrested Jerry.
They charged him with kidnapping.
Although the marshal was acquitted, it gave the abolitionists a chance to publicly challenge the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act.
Each year until 1858 a Jerry Rescue celebration commemorated the event.
Abolitionists referred to the “Jerry Level” as a standard for justice.
In 2001 a monument to the rescue was dedicated in Clinton Square, in downtown Syracuse New York.
December 8 - The American Federation of Labor is Founded
December 7 - Strong Arming Goldminers
December 6 - Breaking Through the Racial Divide
December 5 - Striking in Solidarity
December 4 - Organizing to End Slavery
December 3 - Learning & Labor at Oberlin
December 2 - 21st Century Corporate Greed
December 1 - Standing Up for Themselves and Their Patients
November 30 - Angel of the Stockyards is Born
November 29 - The Fight for $15 & A Union
November 28 - Disaster in the Mines
November 27 - Death Trap in Newark
November 26 - The Birth of William Sylvis
November 25 - Chicago Printers Walk Off the Job
November 24 - The Hollywood Ten
November 23 - The Thibodaux Massacre
November 22 - Uprising of the 20,000
November 21 - Autoworkers Join the Postwar Strike Wave
November 20 - Birth of the Time Clock
November 19 - Joe Hill’s Final Words
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