In Pursuit of Justice: The Life of John Albion Andrew
Colleges and Divisions
Arts and Letters
Department
History
Document Type
Book
Description
Widely known as the "poor man's lawyer" in antebellum Boston, John Albion Andrew (1818-1867) was involved in nearly every cause and case that advanced social and racial justice in Boston in the years preceding the Civil War. Inspired by the legacies of John Quincy Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and mentored by Charles Sumner, Andrew devoted himself to the battle for equality. By day, he fought to protect those condemned to the death penalty, women seeking divorce, and fugitives ensnared by the Fugitive Slave Law. By night, he coordinated logistics and funding for the Underground Railroad as it ferried enslaved African Americans northward. In this revealing and accessible biography, Stephen D. Engle traces Andrew's life and legacy, giving this important, but largely forgotten, figure his due. Rising to national prominence during the Civil War years as the governor of Massachusetts, Andrew raised the African American regiment known as the Glorious 54th and rallied thousands of soldiers to the Union cause. Upon his sudden death in 1867, a correspondent for Harper's Weekly wrote, "Not since the news came of Abraham Lincoln's death were so many hearts truly smitten."
ISBN
9781685750800
Files
Download Full Text
Publication Date
2023
Edition
2023
Publisher
Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press
Keywords
19th century, abolitionists, antislavery movements, biography, Boston, history, lawyers, Massachusetts, political science, racial justice, United States
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | History | United States History
Recommended Citation
Engle, Stephen, "In Pursuit of Justice: The Life of John Albion Andrew" (2023). Research Books. 30.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/faculty_books/30