The Town That Started the Civil War

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The narrative centers on the dramatic events in Oberlin College in 1858, where the community united to rescue a runaway slave from kidnapping. This act of defiance against the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 led to the arrest and trial of 37 rescuers, igniting a significant abolitionist movement in the North. The case not only highlights the passionate commitment of the Oberlin community to the anti-slavery cause but also illustrates the broader tensions surrounding the enforcement of federal laws regarding slavery during this turbulent period in American history.