Racial Violence has been a factor since the beginning of time for African American. Thousands of blacks were killed due to racial violence. Not only were blacks killed, but whites were also. This type of violence was caused if blacks were progressing, if they looked at a white person wrong, if they were involved in an interracial marriage, or just because of their skin color. All of these incidents caused riots. Columbia, PA was one of the counties that had a very large amount of racial violence to such a small area. Columbia played an important part in African American history. Many runaway slaves fled through the Underground Railroad and made their way to freedom in Columbia. Often the runaways would get captured and would go back with their master with no problems. Then you had those who fought back against their masters for freedom. When blacks would fight back it would cause much trouble for them, and others who were black.
Many free blacks that lived in Columbia lived near whites. Because of the racial and ethnic diversity as well as the high population racial violence played an important role in Columbia. One good thing is that blacks stuck together when it came down to fighting for each otherís freedom. There would often be some whites that helped the blacks fight for their freedom. Even though a large amount of whites were against African Americans, their still were some who felt that blacks deserved a right to freedom just like they do. For Columbia to be such a small county it still had itís share of racial hatred and violence.
The first occurrence of racial violence in Columbia was on August 23, 1834. A newspaper called the "Columbia Spy", which was a local newspaper reported that "On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evening last, the first outbreak of a riotous disposition were exhibited and the windows of several of the colored people were broken, partly on account of their own imprudence, and partly through the prevalent spirit of jealousy and animosity which pervades the county respecting that class of population", (Shirk, ). Many other events such as this sort were beginning to rise more and more in Columbia. Two months later after the first incident happened another riot broke out. It happened on October 4, 1834, this act was aimed at the homes of Columbiaís black middle class. The main reason for this incident was because a rumor was spread of a marriage between a black man and white women. Many whites were against blacks in general, but when they would hear of an interracial couple the hatred toward blacks would increase even more.
Blacks that were participants in riots and were caught would be arrested and charged for crimes that did, and even those that they did commit. But when whites were arrested for participating in the riots their charges would be dropped. Two thirds of the whites that participated in racial violence were laborers and mechanics that were not employed full time, and the other third had been socially ambitious middle class merchants.
The racial violence of 1834 took a toll on Columbiaís black community. Many black were killed, loss their jobs, or were just scared to live in Columbia. This caused many blacks to move and leave everything that they had in Columbia for the safety of themselves and their family. Though there were many that left there were just as many who stayed and fought for what was rightfully thereís and that was freedom.
William Bakerwas an escaped slave from Baltimore County Plantation. He and his wife lived in Columbia after they ran away from the plantation. They began to build a life for themselves, but they still were cautious of their surroundings since they were runaways. One day while Baker was in town his slave master caught up with him. When he saw his master, Baker tried to run but he was unable to get away. They arrested Baker on the spot. When the news got back to his wife she made her way to where he was being held. Not only was his wife there to help him there were other blacks that came to protest against his arrest. As they began to bring Baker out to take him to Philadelphia where he would stay in jail overnight, a black man known as Cole threaten to kill police if they did not release him. As he was talking somehow, police pushed him to the ground just in time before he was going to get bullets in his body. It was said that through all of this Cole had shot a white man, but then there was those who said that he did not shoot anyone. Blacks came together to raise money for his freedom. This is an example of how blacks helped each other. This caused one of the most violent riots that had ever happened in Columbia.
When the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 came into effect local newspapers were filled with accounts of both successful slave captures. These incidents started up old racial animosities, which had been right below the surface since 1834. Blacks did not like what was going on and once again there was racial unrest that erupted in Columbia. This particular violence had set a deep social division between blacks and whites even after seventeen years. Even though Columbia was a place of opportunity for runaways. The enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act in Spring of 1851 caused nothing but tension of race, and class for blacks that lived or were trying to establish a home in Columbia. This just proved that no matter where blacks thought there was freedom it really wasnít. Blacks had to be careful anywhere that they went. Not just for there freedom. But for there lives also.
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