Abolitionists

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

A Community in Conflict

Digital Exhibit

3 items

1844

Despite predominant pro-slavery views during the 1830s through the 1850s, there were those who risked prosecution under the Fugitive Slave Act to help enslaved men, women, and children escape to freedom in the north.

Digital Exhibit

1846

Intimidation, bullying, threats, and manipulation have all been used by people in McLean County in order to gain and maintain power. In the process individual rights and freedoms were often denied to those on the receiving end.

Digital Exhibit

1862

By the time the Civil War began, views on slavery in McLean County had become predominantly anti-slavery. But there were still those who supported slavery.

Digital Exhibit

Articles

Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

1 item

Local abolitionists faced rage, mob violence

Rev. Levi Spencer came to Bloomington in April 1844, and it’s no exaggeration to say that his n...

Article

Biographies

3 items

Ellis Dillon

Dillon, Ellis

Ellis Dillon was born on March 25, 1816 in Clinton County, Ohio to Jesse and Hannah Pugh Dillon...

Biography

Hester Vernon Fell

Fell, Hester Vernon

Hester Vernon Fell was born on March 2, 1819 in Little Brittain, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...

Biography

Black and white photograph of an older man, Jesse Fell, wearing a simple suit. He has a nice gaze, looking off into the distance, and a slight upward turn to his mouth

Fell, Jesse Weldon

Jesse Weldon Fell was born on November 10, 1808 to Jesse Fell and Rebecca Roman Fell at his fat...

Biography

Blog

2 items

McHistory: When Local Abolitionists Risked Their Lives

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

Museum Launches Contest to Color Upcoming Mural of Lincoln's Lost Speech in Downtown Bloomington, Illinois

Blog Post

Finding Aids

Archival collection finding aids (full contents of collections available on site)

1 item

Underground Railroad

In the decades before the Civil War an untold number of fugitive slaves journeyed northward to ...

Finding Aid

Making a Home

Digital Exhibit

1 item

Jesse Fell

With plans to settle somewhere in Illinois or Iowa, in 1828 Jesse Fell left Pennsylvania headed...

Digital Exhibit

Research

1 item

Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publicat...

Article

Videos

Livestreamed and recorded presentations by staff, experts, and community members.

1 item

Social Justice History Walking Tour

Video