In 1840s Massachusetts, fleeing slaves found refuge in this peaceful whaling port

New Bedford as Underground Railroad Central Station (1787-1865)

As early as 1787, this Massachusetts whaling port helped escaped slaves find safety, years before the first Fugitive Slave Law.

When Philadelphia and New York needed safe places for runaways, they sent more people to New Bedford than anywhere else in New England.

At its heart stood Nathan and Mary Johnson, Black abolitionists who turned their Seventh Street home into a key Underground Railroad station.

By 1850, between 300 and 700 freedom seekers lived among the city’s 1,000 Black residents.

This is their story, preserved at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in Massachusetts.

Quakers Built the Foundation for New Bedford’s Anti-Slavery Haven

Quakers made up most of Old Dartmouth’s people since 1652.

They spoke out against slavery in the late 1820s, with Benjamin Lund giving a strong anti-slavery talk at the local meetinghouse in 1828. William Rotch Jr. and other Quaker whaling merchants hired crew members from all backgrounds.

Their meetinghouse at 17-19 Seventh Street hid people running from slavery, laying the groundwork for what grew into a major Underground Railroad hub in New England.

New Bedford’s Freedom Network Started Before the First Fugitive Slave Law

New Bedford split from Bedford Village and became its own town on February 23, 1787.

People helped escaped slaves in New Bedford that same year, five years before the first Fugitive Slave Law took effect in 1793. The town’s busy shipping routes along the east coast created natural escape paths.

The whaling industry needed diverse crews, which helped escaped slaves blend in and find work without standing out.

Nathan and Polly Johnson Turned Their Home Into a Freedom Hub

Nathan Johnson was born a slave in Virginia in 1795 but escaped to New Bedford and married Mary “Polly” Page in 1819.

The couple bought properties at 17-19 and 21 Seventh Street by 1826, where they ran successful candy and catering businesses.

Their home sheltered escaped slaves from 1822 onward, becoming a key station in the Underground Railroad network. Polly sold “free labor candy” made without slave-grown sugar, matching their business with their beliefs.

Black Citizens Organized and Gained Political Clout in New Bedford

The New Bedford Union Society formed in 1833 as the first anti-slavery group led by people of color. Nathan Johnson joined the annual meeting of free people of color from 1832 to 1835 and became president in 1847.

Black citizens signed up to vote and checked candidates, asking them to support ending slavery right away by 1839. By 1830, 88% of African Americans lived on their own in New Bedford, with 9.3% working skilled jobs by 1850.

Frederick Douglass Found His Freedom and Name in This Whaling Town

Frederick and Anna Douglass ran away from Maryland slavery and got to New Bedford in September 1838.

Nathan Johnson suggested Frederick change his last name from “Johnson” to “Douglass,” based on a character in Walter Scott’s “Lady of the Lake.”

Douglass found work on the waterfront at Coffin’s Wharf and signed up to vote in 1839, paying a $1. 50 poll tax.

He lived in the Johnson House during his first years of freedom before becoming a famous anti-slavery speaker known across the country.

Whaling Ships Provided Jobs and Escape Routes for Freedom Seekers

The whaling industry hired over 3,000 African Americans between 1803-1860 as crew members and officers. Ships coming from various ports let escaped slaves mix in with international crews.

Lewis Temple, an African American inventor, created the toggle harpoon in 1848, changing whaling forever.

Sea captains, many of them Quakers and abolitionists, welcomed escaped slaves as crew members for long trips, giving them a chance to earn money and travel far from slave catchers.

Underground Railroad Conductors Sent More Escapees to New Bedford Than Anywhere Else

Philadelphia and New York Vigilance Committees sent more escaped slaves to New Bedford than any other New England spot.

The shipping connections along the eastern seaboard created natural Underground Railroad routes to Massachusetts. New Bedford’s deep harbor and mainland location made it easier to reach than Nantucket.

Word spread among enslaved communities in the South that New Bedford was a “Fugitive’s Gibraltar” where they could find safety and jobs.

Hundreds of Escaped Slaves Called New Bedford Home by the 1840s

Caroline Weston wrote in 1845 that “more than four hundred fugitives” lived in New Bedford. Some accounts put the number between 300-700 escaped slaves living in the city at any time before the Civil War.

The total Black population was around 1,000, meaning a large percentage were people who had escaped from slavery.

Multiple safe houses ran throughout the Seventh Street area, later known as “Abolition Row,” creating a network of protection for those seeking freedom.

The 1850 Fugitive Slave Act Tested New Bedford’s Commitment to Freedom

The new federal law forced Northern citizens to help catch and return escaped slaves. Massachusetts had passed a Personal Liberty Law in 1843 for protection, but the federal law overruled it.

Despite the increased danger, a New Bedford Quaker told the Boston Chronotype: “we have about 700 fugitives here in the city.”

The community organized resistance and kept sheltering freedom seekers even though they faced heavy fines and jail time for breaking the federal law.

Seventh Street Became the Heart of the Underground Railroad Network

Multiple properties on Seventh Street worked together as a coordinated safe house network. William and Amelia Piper held fundraisers and bake sales to buy enslaved people’s freedom.

Professional conductors guided escaped slaves through established routes to New Bedford.

The whaling industry and maritime trades gave freedom seekers long-term jobs, allowing them to put down roots and build lives in their new community.

New Bedford’s Freedom Network Left a Lasting Legacy

Many New Bedford residents, including former escaped slaves, joined the 54th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War.

Underground Railroad operations continued through the early Civil War years until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. By 1853, New Bedford had the highest percentage of African Americans of any Northeast city.

Seventh Street stands preserved today as “Abolition Row” historic district, with the Nathan and Polly Johnson House named a National Historic Landmark in 2000.

Visiting New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Massachusetts

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park covers 34 acres and 13 city blocks of cobblestone streets where you can learn about the Underground Railroad.

The visitor center at 33 William Street is free and open 9am-4pm Wednesday through Sunday from April to November.

You can join seasonal ranger-led walking tours through the historic district to see where escaped slaves found safety in this whaling port with strong Quaker connections.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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