By: Michelle Jones, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
SALEM. N.J. – Salem City sat at a crossroad during the 1800s when slavery was being dismantled across the United States. The city itself was quite split. While Salem is well known for its abolitionists and its role in the Underground Railroad, there were also those who supported slavery and supported those who returned escaped slaves to their owners and even kidnapped free citizens to sell them into slavery.
This led to what was known as the Donahower Incident. During the 1830’s this country was divided on the issue of slavery. More and more people in the northern region of the country were working to help slaves who escaped their masters and make it to freedom. They were called abolitionists. And Salem City had its fair share. But something sinister was also happening out in the open. The kidnapping of non-slaves to be sold into slavery. The men responsible for the abhorrent behavior were called slave catchers or bounty hunters.
These slave catchers were emboldened by The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and 1850 which called for the return of fugitive slaves even if they held a “freed” status. Salem would have been no stranger to slave catchers as part of the northern Underground Railroad. These men had one task and that was to return escaped slaves to their masters. They tracked them with dogs and used all means possible to retrieve them for the slave owners who hired them.
However, that wasn’t the only way to make money. Kidnapping Black residents to sell into slavery would add to the slave catchers’ total compensation, so there were times when these men would do just that. This is exactly what happened in 1834 in Salem when slave catcher/ bounty hunter Donahower (no first name listed) attempted to capture African American citizens to sell into slavery.
This brought out the ire of the community. It is reported in the local paper of the day that the community rallied to protect Donahower’s victims and prevent him getting away with the unthinkable. Motives however, were split. There were abolitionists there who attempted to stop him, but there were others who were not particularly anti-slavery, but they were about “law and order,” and they wanted to make sure that he had the legal right to take these citizens. They also disapproved of Donahower’s disorderly conduct and his attitude leading to his arrest.
Once taken into the courthouse, it was reported that Donahower pulled a gun on those assembled causing enough chaos that his captives were able to escape. While Donahower attempted to commit a brutal act and pull a gun, he was released and returned to Philadelphia where he felt as though he had been mistreated.
The lack of responsiveness to the attempted crime and lack of anti slavery fervor in 1834 demonstrated that the city was not ready to completely abolish slavery – yet.
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