John Parker was an African American abolitionist who played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1827, Parker managed to purchase his own freedom and that of his wife in 1855. He settled in Ripley, Ohio, a small town on the Ohio River that was a hub of abolitionist activity.
As an abolitionist, Parker was committed to ending slavery and helping enslaved people escape to freedom. He became involved in the Underground Railroad and used his own home as a safe house for escaped slaves. He also worked as a conductor, helping enslaved people to travel along the secret routes and evade capture by slave catchers.
Parker's bravery and commitment to the cause of abolition earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow abolitionists. He was known for his fearlessness and his willingness to take great risks to help enslaved people escape. He was also known for his compassion and his willingness to offer support and assistance to anyone in need.
One of the most famous episodes in Parker's life occurred in 1851, when he helped a group of enslaved people escape from Kentucky to Ohio. The group, which included a pregnant woman, had been pursued by a group of slave catchers, who were determined to bring them back to their owners. Parker helped the group to cross the Ohio River and made sure they reached safety in Ohio.
Despite the dangers he faced, Parker continued to work on the Underground Railroad until the end of the Civil War, when slavery was finally abolished. His bravery and dedication to the cause of abolition inspired many others to join the fight against slavery and helped to bring about the end of this terrible institution.
Today, John Parker is remembered as a hero of the abolitionist movement and a symbol of the struggle for freedom and justice. His legacy lives on as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right and fighting for the rights and freedoms of all people. So, he played a vital role in the history of the United States and will always be remembered for his bravery and dedication to the cause of freedom.
John P. Parker House
With a halloo, I piled the crowd into the boat, only to find it so small it would not carry all of us. But, the foundry owner paid him for each casting he produced above and beyond his daily quota. These boats were assembled bottom side up. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2010. Parker was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia, but became a freeman by 1845. Having now become actively engaged in aiding the fugitives, my contact with the other abolitionists was close, and maintained until the close of the Civil War. I had no other alternative than to push straight down the bank and take my chances.
John P. Parker, Conductor, on the Underground Railroad
They were so badly demoralized some of them wanted to give themselves up, rather than face the unknown. We decided, in view of the alarm, both of us had better send the party to the home of Rev. Standing, facing the river, it has weathered the storms of years, very much better than its owner and builder. There was Samuel Hemphill,29 Archibald Leggett,30 the Boyntons, Thomas McCague,31 James Reynolds were the leaders. Amidst this commercial activity lived and moved the little group of old-time abolitionists. Free blacks such as Parker supplied most of the needed labor and finances to help escaped slaves.
His mother was a slave, but his father was a free white man. If you are looking for some exciting summer reading, regardless of your interest in history, this is the book. My one hope was to beat my pursuers to them. These interviews have recently been edited by Stuart Seely Sprague and published as His Promised Land: The Autobiography of John P. The patrol had worked faster than I thought. These were brought to town either on sleighs or by four-to-six-horse teams. Norton, 1996 , 97—104.
Being new and zealous in this work, I volunteered to go to the rescue. Parker was not very outspoken about his views, though he expressed them in his memoirs. But we have seen adventurous nights together, which I am glad to say, will never come again. He tended not to offer up his own home to freedom seekers. Ordering the crowd to their feet, I impressed upon them that I was in greater danger than they were, and that unless they listened to me, I would leave them just where they were and save myself.
I found a well-traveled road which I was sure I could not get across in daylight. Parker tobacco press and In 1865 with a partner, he bought a foundry company, which they called the Ripley Foundry and Machine Company. In 1848, Parker established a general store at Beachwood Factory, Ohio. A few years after his death, his widow Miranda and daughters Portia and Bianca moved to the Cincinnati area, first to Norwood and then to Madisonville. I knew there were always boats about the ferry landing.
