PRINTER'S NO. 2188
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
144
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY RABB, STURLA, HILL-EVANS, ROZZI, FREEMAN, KINSEY,
SCHLOSSBERG, SAMUELSON, MENTZER, McNEILL, SANCHEZ, SAPPEY AND
INNAMORATO, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 170th anniversary of the Christiana Resistance
and the brave individuals who stood up for their freedoms and
the freedoms of their neighbors on September 11, 1851.
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth gradually abolished slavery
beginning in 1780, with all enslaved Black people eventually
freed by 1847, allowing Pennsylvania to become a strategic
location along the Underground Railroad; and
WHEREAS, In an effort to appease individuals with racist
ideologies and slavery supporters, Congress revised the Fugitive
Slave Act in 1850 to forcibly compel residents to assist in the
capture of fugitives from slavery, penalizing anyone who
assisted fugitives in their escape; and
WHEREAS, William Parker, an abolitionist who lived in
Lancaster County, after escaping slavery in Maryland, defied the
draconian dictates from the Federal Government, defending the
rights of his family and of all those seeking freedom from
slavery; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Parker received assistance in his valiant work
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
from his family, friends and neighbors, a multiracial group of
Pennsylvanians committed to justice and individual liberty who
were sympathetic to Mr. Parker's work as a conductor for the
Underground Railroad; and
WHEREAS, In 1849, Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Hammond and
Joshua Hammond escaped enslavement in Maryland from farmer
Edward Gorsuch and fled to this Commonwealth to avoid recapture;
and
WHEREAS, The four fugitives eventually sought refuge at Mr.
Parker's home in Christiana, Pennsylvania, after being hunted by
Mr. Gorsuch for two years; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Gorsuch, under the authority of the Fugitive
Slave Act of 1850, received a warrant to recapture these
fugitives and planned to forcibly take them from Mr. Parker's
home in Christiana, leading Mr. Parker to call on his neighbors
to defend fellow fugitives from slavery, his family and his
home; and
WHEREAS, A patriotic cohort of Mr. Parker's neighbors staged
a successful resistance, defeating Mr. Gorsuch's posse due, in
part, to a moral commitment to the values of this Commonwealth
and the right of each person to their individual liberty; and
WHEREAS, Only one person, a white neighbor of Mr. Parker's,
was tried for treason, resisting arrest and conspiracy after
helping Mr. Parker to deescalate the conflict; and
WHEREAS, The white neighbor was found not guilty after being
defended by a legal team, which included future Pennsylvania
Congressman Thaddeus Stevens; and
WHEREAS, This resistance serves as a stellar example of
Pennsylvanians standing by their neighbors and combating
injustice in this Commonwealth and beyond; and
20210HR0144PN2188 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
WHEREAS, More than 170 years later, as the fight for racial
justice still rages on, the Christiana Resistance not only
represents a proud point of history for this Commonwealth, but
also provides an example of the power of unified voice and
action among Pennsylvanians who stand for personal liberty,
fairness and justice; therefore be it
RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
commemorate the 170th anniversary of the Christiana Resistance
and the brave individuals who stood up for their freedoms and
the freedoms of their neighbors on September 11, 1851; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania call on all Pennsylvanians to remember the legacy
of those patriots who fought against the racist policies and
ideologies imposed on them by their government; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That as systemic racism, white supremacy and hate
continue in our Commonwealth and our nation, the General
Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania call on all people
to join in our continued fight toward racial justice and harmony
today.
20210HR0144PN2188 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21