敌百虫y Burns, circa 1855
R. M. Edwards, printer, Boston
Courtesy of the Library of Congress

敌百虫y Burns escaped on a steamboat, traveling from Virginia to Boston. He was captured in 1854 and returned to his owner as legal property, and subsequently sold into North Carolina. Many Northerners were outraged, and his plight became a cause célèbre. African-American minister Leonard A. Grimes spearheaded the drive to purchase Burns from his owners. Later, Burns attendedOberlin College, becoming a preacher in Canada.