e United States.

[5] Laws of Michigan, 1827.

[6] This riot occurred on June 14, 1833. Thornton Blackburn and his
wife, the alleged runaways from Kentucky, were lodged in jail pending
the departure of a boat. A crowd of colored men and women, armed with
clubs, stones and pistols, gathered in the vicinity of the jail. Upon
the pretext of visiting Blackburn's wife a colored woman was admitted to
the jail and by an exchange of clothing effected the escape of the
prisoner who immediately crossed into Canada. Some time thereafter the
sheriff attempted to take his other prisoner to the boat, but was
knocked down and badly beaten. During the encounter the sheriff fired
into the mob, but Blackburn was rescued and carried to Canada. This
caused a great disturbance among the white people. They armed themselves
and attacked the blacks wherever they could be found. The city council
convened and undertook to dispose of the trouble by enforcing the law of
1827 requiring that colored people should stay off the streets at night.
Utley, Byron and McCutcheon, "Michigan as a Province and State," II,
347.

[7] Five years after the organization of the Detroit Anti-Slavery
Society Henry Bibb, an ex-slave, came to the city and lectured for two
years under the auspices of the Liberty Association, which was promoting
the election of anti-slavery candidates. Public sentiment against
slavery was becoming such that the Legislature of Michigan passed a law
prohibiting the use of jails to detain fugitives. Frederick Douglass and
John Brown found many friends of their cause in Detroit. Of the many
organized efforts made to circumvent the law and assist fugitives one
society purchased land and established homes for as many as 50 families
between 1850 and 1872. Farmer, "History of Detroit and Michigan," I,
Chapter XLVIII.

[8] The immediate cause of the riot in Detroit was the arrest,
conviction, and imprisonment of a colored man called William Faulkner
charged with committing an assault on a little girl. Feeling that the
prisoner was guilty, bands of ruffians swept through the streets and
mercilessly beat colored people. Seven years later it was discovered
that Faulkner was innocent and to reimburse him for his losses and
humiliation the same ruffians raised a handsome sum to set him up in
business. See Farmer's History of Detroit and Michigan, Chapter XLVIII.

[8a] A study of the directories of Detroit shows that a considerable
number of Negro