David Ruggles: A Radical Black Abolitionist and the Underground Railroad in New York City (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)

281 Pages·2010·7.18 MB·English

by  Graham Russell Gao Hodges

David Ruggles
*
The
JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN SERIES in
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY and CULTURE
Waldo E. Martin and Patricia Sullivan,
EDITORS
David Ruggles
A RADICAL BLACK ABOLITIONIST
AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
IN NEW YORK CITY
GRAHAM RUSSELL GAO HODGES
The University of North Carolina Press CHAPEL HILL
© 2010
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Designed by Courtney Leigh Baker. Set in Dante and Chateau by Tseng Information
Systems, Inc. Manufactured in the United States of America. The paper in this book meets
the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines
for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. The University of North
Carolina Press has been a member of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hodges, Graham Russell, 1946–
David Ruggles : a radical black abolitionist and the Underground Railroad in New York City /
Graham Russell Gao Hodges.
p. cm. — (The John Hope Franklin series in African American history and culture)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8078-3326-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Ruggles, David, 1810–1849. 2. Abolitionists—New York (State)—New York—Biography.
3. Abolitionists—Massachusetts—Biography. 4. African American abolitionists—New York
(State)—New York—Biography. 5. African American abolitionists—Massachusetts—Biography.
6. Underground Railroad—New York (State)—New York. 7. Underground Railroad—Massachusetts.
8. Antislavery movements—New York (State)—New York—History. 9. Antislavery movements—
Massachusetts—History. I. Title.
E449.R94H63 2010 326'.8092—dc22 [B] 2009031106
Frontispiece:
David Ruggles. This undated charcoal print ably captures Ruggles’s features and his penchant for
stylish clothing. Courtesy Negro Almanac Collection, Amistad Research Center at Tulane University.
14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
With love and devotion to my wife,
GAO YUNXIANG ((cid:20652)(cid:1125)(cid:13736)), who has made my future,
and to my sons, GRAHAM ZHEN GAO-HODGES
(Gao Ranmo (cid:20652)(cid:9994)(cid:3708)) and RUSSELL DU GAO-HODGES
(Gao Ranshi (cid:20652)(cid:9994)(cid:16811)), who are my future
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CONTENTS
Introduction
· 1 ·
ONE
A Revolutionary Childhood
· 11 ·
TWO
An Apprentice Abolitionist in
Post-Emancipation New York City
· 33 ·
THREE
Making Practical Abolitionism
· 63 ·
FOUR
Melding Black Abolitionism and
the Underground Railroad
· 103 ·
FIVE
Abolitionist and Physician
· 155 ·
Epilogue
· 199 ·
Notes
· 205 ·
Bibliography
· 231 ·
Acknowledgments
· 253 ·
Index
· 255 ·
ILLUSTRATIONS
David Ruggles
· ii ·
Map of the Ruggles Family Plot, Bean Hill,
Norwich, Connecticut
· 13 ·
Lydia Huntley Sigourney
· 19 ·
Marquis de Lafayette
· 29 ·
Samuel Eli Cornish
· 38 ·
William Lloyd Garrison
· 42 ·
Lewis Tappan
· 49 ·
Title Page of The “Extinguisher” Extinguished!
· 73 ·