Samuel Burris
Samuel D. Burris | |
|---|---|
Burris, c. 1850 | |
| Born | October 14, 1813 |
| Died | December 3, 1863 (aged 50) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Farmer, laborer, teacher |
| Known for | Underground Railroad conductor |
| Spouse | Catharine Burris |
| Children | James, George, Mary, Sarah, Eliza, and Samuel |
| Parent(s) | George and Mary Burrows |
Samuel D. Burris (October 14, 1813 – December 3, 1863) was a member of the Underground Railroad. He had a family, who he moved to Philadelphia for safety and traveled into Maryland and Delaware to guide freedom seekers north along the Underground Railroad to Pennsylvania.
He was caught helping Marie Mathews escape slavery and was acquitted. Soon after, he helped a young woman and two young men named Isaac and Alexander. He was arrested for enticing slaves to runaway in 1847. After 14 months in jail, he was found guilty. He was sentenced to ten months in jail and a $500 file, after which he was put on the auction block to be sold into slavery. Abolitionists found that he was about to be sold and Isaac Flint posed as a slave buyer and bought Burris; He then set him free.
Burris still went into Delaware to guide freedom seekers, until a law was passed, naming him, that stated that continued assistance could result in 60 lashes of the whip in addition to being sold into slavery. He and his family moved to San Francisco, where he raised funds for education, food, and shelter for former slaves and looked for ways to help freed people become established with jobs and homes. He died in 1863.