Samuel Burris

Samuel Burris (1808-1869) was an African-American member of the Underground Railroad. [ [http://www.russpickett.com/history/burrbio.htm Pickett, Ross. "A Delawarean That Made a Difference." Delaware Biographies. 26 September 2006] ]

Burris was born in Willow Grove, then a small town in Delaware. Samuel was a free black man in a time when slavery was at its peak. Burris decided to move himsel and his family to the safe city of Philadelphia, but from there he would made trips make and forth to the South to free other African Americans from slavery. Burris and his partner John Hunn started working with the underground railroad system in 1845. They worked closely together helping free slaves that were escaping from Delaware and Maryland.

Burris was well aware of what he was doing and the consequences that would apply to him if he were ever caught. In the state of Delaware helping slaves escape was as a very serious offence, and if caught the mandatory punishment was that one would be sold into slavery for a period of seven years. In June 1847 Burris was caught.

He was apprehended whilst helping a woman by the name of Marie Mathews escape from Dover Hundred. Immediately after being captured Burris was put in Dover jail for fourteen months while he awaited his trial. He was then convicted and automatically sentenced to be auctioned off into slavery. When Burris’ friends who were active abolitionists found he was about to be sold they acted to free him. One of them posed as a slave buyer and bought Burris, then set him free.

The man who "purchased" Burris was Isaac Flint, and once Isaac had his friend back they left Delaware with no intentions to ever return to again.

References

Persondata
NAME=Burris, Samuel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American abolitionist
DATE OF BIRTH=1808
PLACE OF BIRTH=Willow Grove, Delaware, United States
DATE OF DEATH=1869
PLACE OF DEATH=