Anthony Burns, circa 1855
R. M. Edwards, printer, Boston
Courtesy of the Library of Congress

Anthony Burns escaped on a steamboat, traveling from Virginia to Boston. He was captured in 1854 and returned to his owner as legal property, and subsequently sold into North Carolina. Many Northerners were outraged, and his plight became a cause célèbre. African-American minister Leonard A. Grimes spearheaded the drive to purchase Burns from his owners. Later, Burns attended Oberlin College, becoming a preacher in Canada.