Stuff You Missed in History Class
Episode Title: The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 1
Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson & Holly Fry
Release Date: February 9, 2026

Main Theme

This episode dives into the early life and escape of Anthony Burns, an enslaved man from Virginia whose 1854 arrest in Boston under the Fugitive Slave Act ignited outrage and galvanized abolitionist sentiment in the North. The hosts use Burns’s story to explore the injustices of the Fugitive Slave Act, the personal impacts of enslavement, and the complex blend of hope, risk, and resolve in self-liberation. They draw poignant parallels between 19th-century and present-day government authority and resistance, framing the narrative in both historical and contemporary terms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Resonance of the Past With the Present (02:29–06:03)

• Tracy opens by referencing a popular quote used on social media:
  “We went to bed one night old fashioned conservative compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad abolitionists.”
  • [03:00] Tracy: Explains its current appeal given recent US immigration enforcement controversies, ICE actions, and people’s sudden activism.
  • The quote is from Amos Adams Lawrence in response to Anthony Burns’s rendition in 1854.
  • The hosts note historical parallels without equating past and present directly, emphasizing the enduring emotional and ethical impact of activism against injustice.

2. Anthony Burns: Early Life (06:03–10:33)

• Born enslaved in Stafford County, Virginia, on May 31, 1834.

  • Parents: His mother was a cook for John F. Suttle; his father was her third husband, also enslaved.
  • After John Suttle died, his widow Susanna began selling off enslaved individuals to cover expenses, splitting up Burns’s family.
  • Anthony’s mother was hired out, separating her from Anthony for two years ([07:18] Tracy).

• Learning to Read and Write:

  • Anthony accessed books through children attending nearby schools while hired out.
  • Later, another woman left books out for him to “find.”
  • Taught himself to write by copying scraps; improved his handwriting with the help of a childhood acquaintance.

3. Hardships and Early Agency (09:06–11:18)

• Adolescent Labor & Violence: At age 12 or 13, worked tending a steam engine at a sawmill for the brutal Foote family. Suffered a mangled hand in an accident ([09:40] Holly).
• During convalescence, experienced a religious awakening and sought baptism, which Suttle initially denied but later allowed.
• Began preaching, organizing religious services and informal schooling for other enslaved people—both illegal acts at the time.

4. The Path to Liberation (11:45–13:49)

• Suttle hired William Brent to manage labor placements; Anthony eventually sent to Richmond with increasing value as a worker.
• Placed with Millspaugh, a druggist, at a labor rate of $125/year. When Millspaugh didn’t have enough work, he offered Anthony an illegal deal: find his own work, cover Millspaugh’s costs, and keep any excess, but secrecy was required.
  • Anthony’s negotiation skills are evident here, as he bargains for twice-monthly payments instead of daily ([13:13] Tracy).
• Anthony’s transient assignments (moving from place to place) were motivated by his desire to escape; he feared familiarity would hinder a future flight.

5. Planning Escape in Richmond (17:55–22:47)

• Richmond’s port offered direct contact with free northerners and sympathetic sailors, fueling Anthony’s dream of liberty.
• Internal struggle: torn between obligations to his secret school, his ministry, and a woman he loved versus desire for freedom.
• Intense reflection on biblical teachings, finding justification for escape and refuting pro-slavery interpretations.
  • [18:55] Tracy: “He found that the Bible set forth only one God for the black and white races ... no passage of holy writ by virtue of which Colonel Suttle could claim a right of property in him ...”

6. Escape and the Journey North (21:31–23:31)

• After a failed negotiation with Millspaugh over daily payments, Burns decided to flee.
• With aid from friendly sailors, he hid aboard a ship bound for Boston, unable to bring his beloved due to urgency.
• The journey was harrowing: hidden for days, seasick, and dependent on the crew for food.

7. Starting Anew in Boston (23:31–25:27)

• Burns found lodging and began work as a cook (unsuccessfully), then as an employee for abolitionist Coffin Pitts, owner of a black-owned store and deacon at the Twelfth Baptist Church (nicknamed “Fugitive Slaves’ Church” due to its congregation and activism).
• Integration into Boston’s Black community; begins to build a new life and sense of security.

8. Betrayal via a Letter Home (25:27–26:09)

• Burns writes his brother in Virginia (via Canadian postmark to hide his location), but the letter is intercepted by a postmaster and read by his former enslaver’s contacts. This triggers the legal pursuit for his return.

9. The Legal Machinery of Slavery (26:21–32:43)

• Detailed review of the constitutional “Fugitive Slave Clause” (Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3) and federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850.
  • Fugitive Slave Act of 1850:
    • Harsher penalties.
    • Administrative hearings, not trials: “It was explicitly illegal for the testimony of a so called fugitive to be entered into evidence.” [32:00] Holly
    • Financial incentives for commissioners to side with enslavers (double pay if they ruled in favor of “reclaiming property”).
    • Put all Black people, free or enslaved, at risk; sparked flight to Canada.

10. The Web of Illegality Surrounding Burns and His Supporters (33:30–34:10)

• Every aspect of Anthony’s learning, teaching, traveling, and even seeking comfort in Boston was criminalized for him and those who aided him.

11. The Arrest in Boston (34:34–36:44)

• [34:55] Holly: Butman, deputized by the US, arrests Anthony Burns by deception (alleged jewelry theft).
• Burns, believing it a simple error, goes willingly—until he realizes he’s being returned to enslavement:
  • [36:15] Tracy (quoting biographer):
    “As in a dissolving view, the land of freedom faded out and the dark land of slavery usurped its place. He saw himself again a slave—far worse than that, a slave disgraced, pointed at as a runaway, punished, perhaps punished unto death ... he ... gave all up.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sudden activism:
  “We went to bed one night old fashioned conservative compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad abolitionists.”
  — Amos Adams Lawrence, read by Tracy V. Wilson, [02:29]

• On Anthony Burns’s theology:
  “He found that the Bible set forth only one God for the black and white races ... no divine ordinance requiring ... bondage.”
  — Paraphrased by Tracy V. Wilson, [18:55]

• On Fugitive Slave Act bias:
  “If the commissioner found that the proof provided was sufficient to issue the warrant, he would be paid $10. If he found that the proof was not sufficient ... $5.”
  — Holly Fry, [30:36]

• Anthony’s horror at his capture:
  “As in a dissolving view, the land of freedom faded out and the dark land of slavery usurped its place ... he ... gave all up.”
  — Tracy V. Wilson (quoting Charles Emory Stevens), [36:15]

Important Timestamps

• [02:29] — Introduction of the Amos Adams Lawrence quote and contemporary relevance
• [06:03] — Anthony Burns’s background and family loss under enslavement
• [09:40] — Industrial accident and religious awakening
• [13:13] — Burns’s negotiation for biweekly payment (strategy for escape)
• [17:55] — Richmond: hope and influence of the port city
• [18:55] — Burns’s religious interpretation and justification for self-liberation
• [21:31] — Escape plan, help from sailors, bittersweet departure
• [23:31] — Arrival in Boston, integration into the Black community
• [25:27] — Letter to brother triggers pursuit
• [26:21] — Review of Fugitive Slave Clause and Act of 1850
• [30:36] — Skewed incentives for slave-catching commissioners
• [34:55] — The arrest of Anthony Burns: deception and trauma
• [36:15] — The realization of recapture (Stevens quote)

Episode Tone

The hosts maintain a tone that is factual, compassionate, and often somber in response to the grave injustices described. There is a recurring thread of admiration for Anthony Burns’s agency, intelligence, and resolve, as well as a sense of anger and incredulity at the legal and social structures engineered to thwart Black advancement and freedom.

Conclusion

Next Episode: Will detail what happens to Anthony Burns after his arrest, the Boston community’s response, and the broader historical impact of the case.

For More Information:
Source lists for the episode and additional reading are available on the Stuff You Missed in History Class website.
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the continued relevance of historical injustices in understanding contemporary issues.