![]() Ellen Dickens, 1860 U.S. Census, Ontonagon Township, Michigan. NARA Image. NPS edit. In 1850, the US Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, a law which required that all captured fugitive slaves be returned to their masters. To counter it, Michigan enacted personal liberty laws to protect the rights of persons claimed as fugitive slaves. One person protected by these laws was a woman named Ellen, who was born in 1815 in Kentucky, a slave state. By 1860, she was living in Ontonagon in the home of Lewis Dickens, a widower with children; Ellen likely provided for their care. ![]() Colorized wood engraving on paper. Bobbett & Hooper Wood Engraving Co. ca. 1855. |
Last updated: January 4, 2018