As William left the scene, he was chased through the streets of Boston. Some sources say he was "dragged." The mob meant to catch him and lynch him for his beliefs. He found refuge in what is now known as "The Old State House." At the time, it was the Boston City Hall. The then Mayor of Boston-Theodore Lyman, arranged to have Garrison taken to jail, in the custody of police, for participating in a riot. This was done to save Garrison from the mob that awaited him outside of the building.
William Lloyd Garrison was placed in the Leverett Street Jail for the night. In the morning, Garrison decided to quit the city for a few weeks until things settled down. He was not exactly welcomed back in to the city by slavery enthusiasts, but he was never attacked by a lynching mob on the streets of Boston again. He did continue to voice his opinion publicly.
William Lloyd Garrison was not intimidated by the people. In fact, several years later, he burned a copy of the United States Constitution, saying it was "…an agreement with death and a covenant with hell." He saw the U.S. Constitution as a document that supported slavery and slavery was (obviously) an evil institution in Garrison's mind. Luckily, he lived to see it abolished.
Comments
very interesting character, thank you for introducing him to me
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