Anthony Burns

Written by Virginia Hamilton

A fugitive slave's trial ignites Boston, challenging the Fugitive Slave Act.

3.7 Goodreads · 142 ratings

208 pages· 41,841 words· Est. 6 hour read· 860L

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1854, Anthony Burns, a young fugitive slave, is captured in Boston, sparking outrage and riots. As the city divides over his trial under the Fugitive Slave Act, tensions rise, fueling the Abolitionist movement. Experience the gripping true story of a man caught in the crossfire of a nation on the brink of Civil War. Will justice prevail, or will the law of the land crush his hopes for freedom? Discover the personal and political stakes in this powerful account of courage and resistance.

From the publisher

“In 1854, Anthony Burns, a 20-year-old black man, was put on trial in Bostonunder the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Retelling the events of the trial, whichpolarized the city, Hamilton shows the kind of political issue which broughtthe nation to fever pitch in the decade before the Civil War. Hamilton’sbiography is actually a ‘docudrama’ which centers on the often silent, mistreated, and humbled runaway slave. The insights Hamilton gives into thepersonal side of slavery are moving and unforgettable.”–(starred) “SchoolLibrary Journal.” “Does exactly what good biography for children ought todo: makes them feel what it was like to be that person in thosetimes.”–(starred) “Horn Book. “