Six Penny Creek and the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad, in its early stages, was comprised of Quakers and their friends and acquaintances or of members of other religious groups who would shelter and assist self-emancipated individuals on their journeys North[1]. The Underground Railroad grew in strength with the passage of the Federal Fugitive Slave Acts[1][2]. At the edge of a boarder state, Southeastern Pennsylvania was identified as a location early on where self-emancipated individuals could seek freedom[3]. The Six Penny Creek community grew near the home of Quaker Elizabeth Scarlett (1787-1839)[4]and her son Joseph (1821-1882)[5][6]. They owned Scarlett Mill[7]. Self-emancipated individuals from the South would come across the border into Pennsylvania and travel to Berks County, PA[8]. The Scarlett family housed self-emancipated individuals[9] in "Quaker Valley," Robeson Township, PA near Birdsboro,[10] Berks County, PA. Joseph Scarlett was active in aiding self-emancipated individuals beyond providing shelter at the family home. According to a newspaper article following his death, he was "an ardent friend of fugitive slaves, and did not hesitate at personal danger in assisting them"[11]. He was once in Pennington (now Atglen), PA, when he noticed an individual chained to a bar rail in a public house and learned that the man was to be taken away by slave hunters[12]. Overnight, the bar rail was sawed through and the man was gone, along with the handcuffs[13]. A pair of damaged handcuffs appeared in the Scarlett home after the event and hung on the wall[14]. Joseph Scarlett was also involved in the Christiana Tragedy in 1851[2] in Lancaster, PA,[15] which can be seen as an important precursor to the Civil War[16]. During the incident, Joseph Scarlett refused to help the "Gap Gang" arrest a group of self-emancipated individuals and prevented the death of a wounded man after the action of the event had concluded[17]. Joseph Scarlett was charged with treason and levying war against the United States government and spent ninety-seven days in Lancaster County Prison following the event[18]. He was one of three White men from the event to spend time in prison[19]. In 1870 Joseph Scarlett held a celebration for the anniversary of the emancipation proclamation on his property[20]. Joseph Scarlett was married[21] and was engaged in the green grocery business before his death[22].
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ LaRoche 2017, 118
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ Find a Grave
- ↑ Find a Grave
- ↑ LaRoche 2017, 96
- ↑ LaRoche 2017, 96
- ↑ LaRoche 2017, 96
- ↑ National Park Service 2015
- ↑ Claussen 1968
- ↑ Reading Times, 25 July 1882
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ The Times, 30 January 1882
- ↑ The Daily Evening Express, 21 August 1875
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ Homan 1958
- ↑ The Saturday Express, 15 November 1851
- ↑ The Lancaster Examiner, 28 September 1870
- ↑ Find a Grave
- ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 July 1882