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It was such great fun to talk with with @carltonfwlarson about his new book "On Treason." (A link to the video of our chat is below.)The book is just packed with extraordinary stories, one of which I'll share here. In the "Christiana Riot," 1/
a group of thirty-eight Pennsylvanians violently repelled a raiding party that had stormed into rural Pennsylvania to re-capture four men who'd escaped enslavement two years prior. The aggrieved enslaver, who organized and led the party, was killed in the affray. 2/
Here's @carltonfwlarson's description of the events leading to the conflict:
"In the early morning..., a local informant led the [raiding] party to the two-story stone house of William Parker, a former slave and leader of the local African-American self-protection society." 3/
"In the early morning..., a local informant led the [raiding] party to the two-story stone house of William Parker, a former slave and leader of the local African-American self-protection society." 3/
The raiders tried the door, "but they quickly retreated after the occupants hurled a large object at them. Parker’s wife ascended to the attic, where she blew a horn, the customary method for the members of the self-protection society to summon assistance from one another." 4/
"The horn did its work. Large numbers of armed African-Americans began arriving at the Parker house, along with several white men, including a miller named Castner Hanway, Parker’s closest neighbor." 5/
"Hanway refused to have anything do with the warrants and advised [the U.S. Marshal accompanying the party] to retreat. [The Marshal and two of the raiders] heeded this advice and fled the scene." Undeterred, the leader of the raiding party didn't take the hint. 6/
The enslaver "again sought to approach the Parker house, when he was confronted by one of the escaped slaves, who clubbed him on the head before shooting him to death. Other African-Americans then opened fire." 6/
The logical conclusion to all of this was (it almost goes without saying) a treason prosecution [sic] against everyone who could be identified as part of the group that was defending the Parker house, thirty-four of whom were African-American. 7/
Prof Larson's account of the rest of the story is every bit as gripping and informed as the book as a whole, and I'm really pleased to have had a chance to read and discuss it with him. A highly recommended read!! 8/
