Mother's Desperate Act Reveals Horrors of Slavery

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The story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman in 1856 Cincinnati, reveals the desperate lengths a mother would go to protect her children from the horrors of slavery. Garner, who was considered a 'mulatto', was repeatedly abused by her enslaver, Archibald Gaines. When Gaines tracked down Garner and her family as they tried to flee to freedom, Garner made the agonizing choice to kill her own daughter rather than see her subjected to the same abuse. Garner's trial drew international attention and highlighted the injustices of the Fugitive Slave Act, which required African Americans to prove their freedom with expensive papers.

Why it matters

Margaret Garner's story is a powerful example of the brutality and inhumanity of the slavery system in the United States. Her desperate act to protect her children from rape and abuse at the hands of her enslaver reveals the impossible choices faced by enslaved mothers. Garner's trial also shed light on the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it extremely difficult for enslaved people who escaped to the North to truly be free.

The details

Margaret Garner was born into slavery on a plantation in Kentucky owned by the Gaines family. She was repeatedly abused and raped by the plantation owner, Archibald Gaines, who took advantage of laws that allowed white men to seek 'satisfaction' with enslaved women. Garner gave birth to four children during this time, three of whom were listed as 'mulatto', indicating Gaines was likely the father. When Garner became pregnant a fifth time, her husband Robert decided to flee with the family to Ohio, crossing the frozen Ohio River. But Gaines tracked them down before they could reach the safety of the Underground Railroad. Seeing no other option, Garner made the agonizing choice to kill her infant daughter Mary, who resembled Gaines, rather than see her subjected to the same abuse. Garner was arrested and put on trial in Cincinnati, but was not charged with murder - instead, she and her family were charged with running away.

• In 1856, Margaret Garner and her family fled Kentucky and crossed the frozen Ohio River to Little Bucktown, where Paycor Stadium now stands.
• Garner was arrested and put on trial in Cincinnati, with the trial lasting three weeks and drawing international attention.
• During the trial, abolitionist Lucy Stone spoke out in support of Garner, despite women being forbidden from speaking in court.
• To prevent Garner from being retried for murder and potentially granted her freedom, her enslaver Archibald Gaines sold her to a cousin in Tennessee.
• On the steamship journey to Tennessee, the vessel collided with another boat and Garner and her newborn baby were lost - some say she jumped, others say she fell.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The story of Margaret Garner continues to resonate as a powerful example of the horrors of slavery and the impossible choices faced by enslaved mothers. Her desperate act to protect her children from abuse has inspired works of art and literature, including Toni Morrison's novel 'Beloved' and an opera that helped usher in the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.