Category Archives: slavery

Slavery in Butte County

Posted on September 5, 2022 by nancyleek

Even though California was a free state, slavery certainly existed here. Slaveholders brought their slaves with them from the South, and they did everything they could to hold on to their “property.” But were slaves bought and sold in California?* … Continue reading →

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The Perkins Case

Posted on September 3, 2022 by nancyleek

The first test of the California Fugitive Slave Act (enacted in April 1852) came shortly after its passage. Three men, Carter Perkins, Robert Perkins, and Sandy Jones, were seized on the night of May 31, 1852, by the sheriff of … Continue reading →

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A Young Man Named ‘Frank’

Posted on August 29, 2022 by nancyleek

This is the story of the case that led to the enactment of the California Fugitive Slave Law. In 1850 a man named John Calloway brought an enslaved man named Frank from Missouri to California. Frank was eighteen years old. … Continue reading →

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The California Fugitive Slave Law

Posted on August 28, 2022 by nancyleek

As a student of history, I knew about the federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. What I didn’t know about until recently was that California had its own Fugitive Slave Law, enacted in 1852, to deal with the unique circumstances … Continue reading →

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