Cazenovia High School AP English Language Course Explores Historic 1850 Anti-Slavery Convention

By Wendy Everard
In my AP English Language class at Cazenovia High School, students engage in a research and public speaking project in which they learn about the Fugitive Slave convention, held in Cazenovia in 1850. This article will not only illustrate the particulars of that Convention, but will include some commentary from students themselves about their takeaways from the unit, as a precursor to a commemoration of the event by the Anti-Racism Coalition of Cazenovia this August.

“I was talking to my mom last night, and I can’t believe it’s taken me until now in my education to learn about this.” – Zoe S.

In August of 1850, a singular event took place in Cazenovia, New York: the largest Fugitive Slave Law Convention that ever took place in the United States. A response to the impending Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, the convention took advantage of Cazenovia’s prime location near the Erie Canal and on the Cherry Valley Turnpike (now Route 20) and the Plank Road (now Route 13), which were high-traffic routes and easily accessible to Convention participants.

“Before this project, I didn’t know Peterboro was a thing or that Cazenovia had anything to do with abolition.” – Izaak G.

Co-presidents of the convention were famed abolitionist, orator, and activist, Frederick Douglass and influential local abolitionist Gerrit Smith, whose family gave their names to both Smithfield and Peterboro (named for Gerrit’s father). Day One of the Convention was held in the First Congregational Church (now the site of the Catherine Cummings Theatre) on Lincklaen Street. It is estimated that up to 3,000 people attended the convention, and this overflow crowd flooded the church, resulting in the relocation of the convention during Day Two to a nearby apple orchard owned by Grace Wilson, a local teacher and abolitionist.

“I learned a lot of new facts about events that I didn’t know took place. For example, I never knew what the Christiana Riot was. A lot of what I learned wasn’t shocking, but it was sad.” – Peyton B.

It is estimated that approximately 50 formerly enslaved people attended the convention, an audacious and brave act of defiance against the impending law. Among them were the Edmondson sisters, Mary and Emily, whose freedom was purchased by abolitionist allies after a thwarted escape attempt from Washington, D.C.

“I never knew that our town was involved in such a large movement, and it was interesting to learn about the convention, all the people who attended, and about Grace Wilson and her apple orchard.” – Claire M.

During the second day of the Convention, a photo taken by famed local daguerreotypist Ezra Weld immortalized the event in Wilson’s apple orchard. Weld’s brother, Theodore, was an active abolitionist who married fellow abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Angelina Grimke. This daguerreotype can be seen — among many other places — on a monument here in the village of Cazenovia, on Sullivan Street, in the space formerly occupied by Wilson’s apple orchard. And it was this marker that inspired me to turn this event into a research unit for my AP English Language class at Cazenovia High School.

Students study the events leading up to the Fugitive Slave Law Act in addition to focusing, in their research, on a specific person, place, or event that was instrumental in the convention.

They then turn their papers into scripts that are delivered during a walking tour through the village. The tour is offered to interested community members in early October of each year (and will be, again, this year).

One of the topics that some students are asked to focus on for their research is the issue of why this convention should still matter. Why do we feel that it’s important to shine a light on this event almost 200 years after its occurrence?

“I learned how quickly historical events like the ones we learned about are forgotten, which I thought was both surprising and dismaying.” – Iris C.

As evidenced by the words from students in this article, students feel that learning about their local history is important for a variety of reasons, including gaining a full and truthful understanding of history, civic pride and enlightenment, and understanding how past events have influenced present ones.

The previous iterations of the Fugitive Slave Acts had mandated that escaped enslaved people be returned to their enslavers, even if they had reached free states. The recapture of these people became a federal responsibility, and those who helped these enslaved people escape were punished. ​

“I always thought of slavery as ‘the North was against it and the South supported it.’ It’s interesting to learn that it was more nuanced than that.” – Max V.

This new 1850 Law was meant to give teeth to the previous acts, which were being flouted by those Americans who wished to help enslaved people. It proposed denying due process to those accused of fleeing slavery, deputizing ordinary citizens to help in the apprehension of formerly enslaved people, and incentivizing these marshalls and commissioners to aid in the capture, identification, and re-imprisonment of runaways, returning them to slaveholders.
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Despite the hard work of abolitionists devoted to defeating the 1850 Act, it was passed.

“I enjoyed the field trips and opportunities to learn more about the history of our community, because I didn’t know much about the topic. It was crazy to learn about all the important history and realize I’ve never heard about it from anyone in town. I think that made our project so much more important, and the opportunity to educate others in our town was a great chance.” – Mimi U.

During this project, students observe the connections between history and the present, with each group of students responsible for discussing the importance of learning history and observing its impact on the present. In this way, students are encouraged to not only learn their history, but to make connections to events of the present day.

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Freedom Now: Honoring the 1850 Anti-Slavery Convention
Saturday, August 23 from 1–3 p.m., 9 Sullivan Street, Cazenovia
Music by Marcia Hagan  | Keynote by Tanisha M. Jackson
The Anti-Racism Coalition of Cazenovia (ARC-C) has been pleased to present a celebration in honor of the Fugitive Slave Law Convention each August for the past three years. 

​We will begin at the historic site at 9 Sullivan St. at 1:00 p.m. We will move a few steps over to the First Presbyterian Church of Cazenovia, for live music and the keynote to inspire dialogue and connection across our community.

Please join us, and look for the AP Language class’s 1850 Convention Tour of the village in early October.