Margaret Morgan’s parents were slaves of John Ashmore, a Maryland mill owner. He never laid claim to Margaret, who married a free black man and moved to Pennsylvania. After his death, his widow sent Edward Prigg to Pennsylvania to claim Margaret as a runaway. Both Margaret and her children were forcibly sent back to Maryland in violation of Pennsylvania law, setting the stage for a Supreme Court case in 1842. History professor H. Robert Baker discusses his book Prigg v. Pennsylvania and the results of this landmark case. This program is presented in partnership with the National Archives Afro-American History Society. A book signing will follow the program.
The speaker was introduced by Damani Davis, Vice President (A1), National Archives Afro-American History Society.
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