EAST LANSING, Mich. — In 1837, Margaret Morgan, a woman who was born into slavery in Maryland, was living with her husband and children in Pennsylvania, a free state. During that time, hired slave catchers, led by Edward Prigg, forcibly took the family away one night during inclement weather, placing them in an open wagon while they wore only minimal clothing.
The case surrounding their capture led to a significant legal decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, known as Prigg v. Pennsylvania. This 1842 ruling emphasized the deep entrenchment of slavery within the nation’s foundation by supporting the rights of slave owners to retain their “property.” The decision set a precedent in American law and has been referenced over 7,000 times in legal discussions, according to the Citing Slavery Project at Michigan State University.
According to a biography from the Archives of Maryland, Morgan’s parents were owned by John Ashmore, but they likely gained freedom before her birth, as they were not mentioned as Ashmore’s possessions when he died. Margaret remained in Maryland, eventually marrying Jerry Morgan, a free Black man. In 1832, the couple opted for a new life and moved to Pennsylvania.
Margaret Ashmore, claiming ownership of Morgan, hired Prigg to retrieve her. Under the federal Fugitive Slave Act, he was not obligated to provide proof of this claim. Despite lacking the required authorization by Pennsylvania law, Prigg transported Morgan and her children back across the Mason-Dixon line. He was later convicted of kidnapping by Pennsylvania state law in 1839, but the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in his favor, invalidating Pennsylvania’s antislavery legislation.
The slave catchers allowed Jerry Morgan to remain behind as they took Margaret and their children. Tragically, Jerry drowned in a river after a failed attempt to seek intervention from the Pennsylvania governor for their family’s release, the archives state. The fate of Margaret Morgan and her children remains uncertain, as records suggest they might have been sold by Margaret Ashmore. There is no further documentation detailing their lives after those events.
