The 1845 kidnapping of Kitty Payne, a freed Virginia slave
living in Pennsylvania with her children, offers evidence of why the War Between the
States had to be fought. Several court cases in Virginia and Pennsylvania document the
family’s plight. After a lengthy imprisonment in Virginia following the kidnapping,
Kitty and her children eventually regained their freedom, but because Kitty lacked
the means to care for them, her children were separated from her and from each other,
sent to live with families in different Adams County townships. See Kitty’s kidnapping reenacted on 7/24/2010!
Learn about state slavery laws and the painful circumstances
of the Paynes’ struggle for freedom. |
