Lewis Hayden
Encyclopedia
Lewis Hayden was an African American
leader, ex-slave, abolitionist, businessman, Republican Party
worker and a representative from Boston to the Massachusetts
state legislature in 1873.
soldier, Marquis de Lafayette tipped his hat to Hayden in the slave state of Kentucky, which helped inspire Hayden to believe he was worthy of respect and become an abolitionist in adult life.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071117/ap_en_ot/lafayette_exhibit;_ylt=Au8usDDj15c4ZTzeeFarzxwVkmwF. As a young man, Hayden was married to a female slave in Lexington, with whom he had a child. They were owned by Henry Clay
, who sold them into the Deep South, and Hayden never heard from them again.
and Delia Webster. (Webster served two months of a two-year prison sentence for helping the Haydens, but Fairbank, sentenced to 15 years, served four years until Hayden, in effect, ransomed him.)
. Within a few years, the Haydens moved to Massachusetts, where he began work as an agent, or travelling speaker and organizer, for the American Anti-Slavery Society
. Hayden appeared as a lecturer for the Society in Massachusetts and western New York in 1846 – 1848. Reports of his appearances appear in The Liberator and the National Anti-Slavery Standard
.
In 1847 Lewis and Harriet Hayden began a journey to Vermont
that involved traveling on the railroad. When the conductor refused to honor their first class tickets because of their race, the Haydens protested and forced the railroad into compliance. Rather than admit them to the all-white seating area, however, the railroad ordered a special first-class car only for them.
He toured western New York
with abolitionist Erasmus Darwin Hudson
. In February 1848, he responded to a letter from the society informing him of "his agency being stopped]." Nevertheless, the Boston City Directory for 1849-50 lists him as a lecturer.
After Hayden returned to Boston in 1849, he began to work for Fairbank's release. In 1849 payment was arranged for compensation "to the parties claiming redress for the loss of their slaves. Benjamin Howard, Francis Jackson
, and Ellis Gray Loring, were parties on each side to pay and receive a stipulated sum -- six hundred dollars. . ." when Fairbank was released.
, which forced him to continue his business from his home. The Boston Globe suggests that Hayden first moved to a smaller store, was burned out, and later "took to peddling jewelry" during the panic of 1857-58. (The bankruptcy papers for Hayden's business failure can be found in the archives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.) These businesses helped to finance Hayden's work for the Boston Vigilance Committee
, and his and Harriet's house was a well-known "station" on the Underground Railroad
.
in the Anti-Slavery Society and worked both independently and as an agent of the Vigilance Committee as an organizer within the African American community to protect escaped slaves, as well as to provide welfare for those who were having money problems. He took up arms resisting legal authorities in the cases of Shadrach Minkins
, Thomas Sims
, Anthony Burns
and William and Ellen Craft
. Hayden was arrested and tried in the Minkins case, but the trial resulted in a hung jury
.
, Hayden recruited African American men for the United States Colored Troops
, and travelled throughout the South working with new African American Masonic lodges ( Prince Hall Freemasonry
). His only known son enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was killed during the war.
In 1873 Hayden served one term as a representative from Boston to the Massachusetts legislature. He was involved in the movement to erect a statue in honor of Crispus Attucks
, who was killed in the Boston Massacre
. Hayden died in 1889 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
leader, ex-slave, abolitionist, businessman, Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
worker and a representative from Boston to the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
state legislature in 1873.
Early life
When he was 13, the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier, Marquis de Lafayette tipped his hat to Hayden in the slave state of Kentucky, which helped inspire Hayden to believe he was worthy of respect and become an abolitionist in adult life.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071117/ap_en_ot/lafayette_exhibit;_ylt=Au8usDDj15c4ZTzeeFarzxwVkmwF. As a young man, Hayden was married to a female slave in Lexington, with whom he had a child. They were owned by Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
, who sold them into the Deep South, and Hayden never heard from them again.
Escape and freedom
By the early 1840's, Hayden's owners were leasing his services to a hotel in Lexington, where he was able to earn money doing odd jobs on the side. By 1844, he had earned enough to finance his own escape, which he did together with his second wife, Harriet, and son. He was aided Calvin FairbankCalvin Fairbank
Calvin Fairbank was an American abolitionist minister who spent more than 17 years in prison for his anti-slavery activities.-Biography:...
and Delia Webster. (Webster served two months of a two-year prison sentence for helping the Haydens, but Fairbank, sentenced to 15 years, served four years until Hayden, in effect, ransomed him.)
Anti-slavery efforts
The Haydens first escaped to Canada, then moved for a short time to DetroitDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Within a few years, the Haydens moved to Massachusetts, where he began work as an agent, or travelling speaker and organizer, for the American Anti-Slavery Society
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist society founded by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan. Frederick Douglass was a key leader of this society and often spoke at its meetings. William Wells Brown was another freed slave who often spoke at meetings. By 1838, the society had...
. Hayden appeared as a lecturer for the Society in Massachusetts and western New York in 1846 – 1848. Reports of his appearances appear in The Liberator and the National Anti-Slavery Standard
National Anti-Slavery Standard
The National Anti-Slavery Standard was the official weekly newspaper of the American Anti-Slavery Society, established in 1840 under the editorship of Lydia Maria Child and David Lee Child. The paper published continuously until the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States...
.
In 1847 Lewis and Harriet Hayden began a journey to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
that involved traveling on the railroad. When the conductor refused to honor their first class tickets because of their race, the Haydens protested and forced the railroad into compliance. Rather than admit them to the all-white seating area, however, the railroad ordered a special first-class car only for them.
He toured western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with abolitionist Erasmus Darwin Hudson
Erasmus Darwin Hudson
Erasmus Darwin Hudson, , was an anti-slavery organizer and orthopedic surgeon. He was particularly active in Pennsylvania, New York and New England...
. In February 1848, he responded to a letter from the society informing him of "his agency being stopped]." Nevertheless, the Boston City Directory for 1849-50 lists him as a lecturer.
After Hayden returned to Boston in 1849, he began to work for Fairbank's release. In 1849 payment was arranged for compensation "to the parties claiming redress for the loss of their slaves. Benjamin Howard, Francis Jackson
Francis Jackson (abolitionist)
Francis Jackson was an abolitionist in Boston, Massachusetts. He was affiliated with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee...
, and Ellis Gray Loring, were parties on each side to pay and receive a stipulated sum -- six hundred dollars. . ." when Fairbank was released.
Merchant activities
By 1850, Hayden opened a clothing store on Cambridge Street. He remained in this business until 1858, despite the financial crisis of 1857Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
, which forced him to continue his business from his home. The Boston Globe suggests that Hayden first moved to a smaller store, was burned out, and later "took to peddling jewelry" during the panic of 1857-58. (The bankruptcy papers for Hayden's business failure can be found in the archives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.) These businesses helped to finance Hayden's work for the Boston Vigilance Committee
Boston Vigilance Committee
Boston Vigilance Committee was an abolitionist organization formed in Boston, Massachusetts on June 4, 1841 at the Marlboro Chapel, Hall No. 3....
, and his and Harriet's house was a well-known "station" on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Vigilance Committee
Hayden moved away from the non-violent philosophy of the GarrisoniansWilliam Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
in the Anti-Slavery Society and worked both independently and as an agent of the Vigilance Committee as an organizer within the African American community to protect escaped slaves, as well as to provide welfare for those who were having money problems. He took up arms resisting legal authorities in the cases of Shadrach Minkins
Shadrach Minkins
Shadrach Minkins was an African American fugitive slave. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he escaped from slavery in 1850 to settle in Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a waiter...
, Thomas Sims
Thomas Sims
Thomas Sims was an enslaved African American who escaped from slavery in Georgia at age 17 and lived for a time in Boston, Massachusetts. He was arrested there under the federal Fugitive Slave Law on April 4, 1851. Following a dramatic court trial, he was returned to his owner against the strong...
, Anthony Burns
Anthony Burns
Anthony Burns was born a slave in Stafford County, Virginia. As a young man, he became a Baptist and a "slave preacher"...
and William and Ellen Craft
Ellen Craft
Ellen Craft and William Craft were slaves from Macon, Georgia in the United States who escaped to the North in December 1848 by traveling openly by train and steamboat, arriving in Philadelphia on Christmas Day. She posed as a white male planter and he as her personal servant...
. Hayden was arrested and tried in the Minkins case, but the trial resulted in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
.
Political activities
Hayden was a longtime supporter of John A. Andrew who became governor in 1861. Hayden received a position a messenger in the Secretary of State's office, which he held until retirement. During and after the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Hayden recruited African American men for the United States Colored Troops
United States Colored Troops
The United States Colored Troops were regiments of the United States Army during the American Civil War that were composed of African American soldiers. First recruited in 1863, by the end of the Civil War, the men of the 175 regiments of the USCT constituted approximately one-tenth of the Union...
, and travelled throughout the South working with new African American Masonic lodges ( Prince Hall Freemasonry
Prince Hall Freemasonry
Prince Hall Freemasonry derives from historical events which led to a tradition of separate predominantly African-American Freemasonry in North America...
). His only known son enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was killed during the war.
In 1873 Hayden served one term as a representative from Boston to the Massachusetts legislature. He was involved in the movement to erect a statue in honor of Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks was a dockworker of Wampanoag and African descent. He was the first person shot to death by British redcoats during the Boston Massacre, in Boston, Massachusetts...
, who was killed in the Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, called the Boston Riot by the British, was an incident on March 5, 1770, in which British Army soldiers killed five civilian men. British troops had been stationed in Boston, capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, since 1768 in order to protect and support...
. Hayden died in 1889 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts
Everett, Massachusetts
Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 41,667 at the 2010 census.Everett is the last city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common Council...
.