In the dead of night on Saturday, October 9, 1847, an enslaved family of six crossed the Ohio River from Petersburg, running to freedom. The fallout that occurred as a result of their escape would have a national impact on the Underground Railroad and political discourse. 

The morning after the escape, the absence of David and Lucy Powell and their four sons was immediately discovered by enslaver John Norris, who wasted no time in picking up their trail; his efforts would go unrewarded. Norris and his posse searched suspected escape routes for over a month and at times, got very close to their target. They found some discarded clothing that Norris identified as the Powells’ but soon lost the trail during a search that lasted more than a month. Norris and his henchmen returned home to Petersburg empty-handed. 

The Powells settled in Cass County, Michigan in a community of Free African Americans, Quaker families and other freedom seekers. They began to settle, bought some land and eldest son, Lewis, got married. Sadly, their new life was interrupted when John Norris and a group of forty men arrived in September 1849, having discovered their whereabouts. 

David Powell was not found when Lucy and the four boys were captured. Poor Lewis was forced to separate from his bride as they were loaded into a wagon bound for Kentucky. News of the capture spread rapidly through the community and the Kentuckians were confronted as they stopped to rest near South Bend, Indiana. 

Both Norris’ group and the Powells were brought to the St. Joseph County, IN court house where they were met by hundreds of angry citizens, many of them armed to the teeth. The public demanded action: free the Powells and jail the Kentuckians! Tempers flared as the court attempted to resolve the question plaguing the country: what defined freedom for former slaves in Free States and whose rights mattered? The local judge decided to free the Powells, as no proof of ownership had been produced. Although Norris was angry at the decision, he was also aware of the increasingly dangerous crowd. He decided to return to Kentucky without his captives. To recoup his loss, Norris brought suit against several of the men who interrupted his attempt at recapturing the freedom seekers. The case was tried in the U.S. Circuit Court, where the argument for enslavers’ rights prevailed. Norris was awarded an unprecedented $2,500, which equals about $144,000 today. 

This monumental ruling came just after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 which further strengthened the rights of enslavers to claim freedom seekers in Free states. The legislation had the opposite effect than intended, causing a spike in Underground Railroad activity, as thousands made their way to freedom.