Historic Rescue in Milwaukee Sparked a Movement, and a Political Party

A little-known moment in Wisconsin’s history is getting renewed attention thanks to a new mini-documentary uncovering the daring rescue of a fugitive slave in 1854, and its ripple effect on American politics. 

Michael Jahr, the filmmaker behind Liberty at Stake: The Joshua Glover Story, said he stumbled upon the tale after seeing a historical marker in downtown Milwaukee and later found a book at an estate sale. “I was shocked that so few people know this story,” said Jahar. “It was a catalyst for major national events.” 

Joshua Glover was an enslaved man who escaped a Missouri plantation in 1852 and fled more than 400 miles north, ultimately settling in the abolitionist community of Racine, Wisconsin. For two years, Glover lived freely, until slave catchers, armed with the backing of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act, tracked him down and violently dragged him to jail in Milwaukee. 

But what followed was nothing short of extraordinary. 

Outraged by the arrest, a Milwaukee newspaper editor named Sherman Booth rode through the streets rallying citizens to Glover’s cause. By 2 p.m. the next day, over 5,000 people, one-quarter of Milwaukee’s population at the time, had gathered outside the courthouse. They came not just from Milwaukee, but from Racine as well, including a shipload of 100 citizens who traveled up the icy lake to help. 

After official channels failed to secure Glover’s release, the crowd took matters into their own hands. They broke into the jail using a wooden beam from a nearby church under construction, freed Glover, and spirited him away through the Underground Railroad. Eventually, he made it to Canada, where he lived the rest of his life in freedom. 

Indeed, just nine days after the rescue, a group of abolitionists gathered in Ripon, Wisconsin, and declared the need for a new anti-slavery political party. That meeting, widely considered the birth of the Republican Party, eventually helped elect Abraham Lincoln, and set the nation on a path toward civil war and emancipation. 

“This isn’t just Republican or Democrat history,” said Jahr. “It’s American history. It’s about what happens when everyday people stand up for freedom, even at great personal risk.”  

Jahr hopes to bring this forgotten piece of history to a broader audience. His team is currently working on a full-length documentary and encouraging the public to visit LASfilm.com to learn more or support the project.