Slave Resistance, Coffles, and the Debates over Slavery in the Nation's Capital
Slave Resistance, Coffles, and the Debates over Slavery in the Nation's Capital
This chapter describes and examines the events in George Miller's tavern, a seedy establishment notorious in the state of Washington for being a slave depot. A woman, known only as Anna, jumped because a slave trader purchased her and two of her children but declined to take their siblings and father. The price she paid for her impulsive action was a broken back and two shattered arms. When news of the incident reached the House of Representatives, John Randolph blasted the inhuman sale of slaves carried on in the district. In so doing, he cast doubt on the efficacy of the interstate slave trade by closely linking it to abhorrent activities and results. It was the first direct denunciation of the interstate slave trade in Congress. Randolph pointed a finger of scorn toward an issue that most others would rather avoid or ignore.
Keywords: slave depot, George Miller's tavern, Washington, Anna, slave trader, John Randolph, inhuman sale
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