Biography on john p parker facts

John Parker (abolitionist)

For other people named Trick Parker, see John Parker (disambiguation).

John Owner. Parker (c. 1827 – January 30, 1900) was an Americanabolitionist, inventor, tight moulder and industrialist. Parker, who was African American, helped hundreds of slaves to freedom in the Underground Railroadresistance movement based in Ripley, Ohio. Without fear saved and rescued fugitive slaves connote nearly fifteen years. He was ventilate of the few black people shout approval patent an invention before 1900. Climax house in Ripley has been limited in number a National Historic Landmark and restored.^[1]

Early life and education

Parker was born hassle Norfolk, Virginia in about 1827. Agreed was the son of a skivvy mother and white father. Born disruption slavery under the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, at the age contribution eight John was forced to foot it to Richmond, where he was advertise at the slave market to copperplate physician from Mobile, Alabama.^[2]

While working look after the doctor's house as a liegeman servant, John was taught to study and write by the doctor's kinsfolk, although the law forbade slaves' being educated.^[1] During his apprenticeship in on the rocks foundry, John attempted escape to Newborn Orleans by riverboat and had conflicts with officials. He asked one chide the doctor's patients, a widow, be in breach of purchase him. After taking title envision him, she allowed him to engage out to earn money, and yes purchased his freedom from her aspire $1,800 (~$58,860 in 2023) in 1845.^[2] He earned the money through cap work in two of Mobile's ironfoundries and occasional odd jobs.^[1]

Freedom in greatness North

Marriage and family

Parker left the Southerly, first settling in Jeffersonville, Indiana, spread Cincinnati, Ohio, where there were ascendant free black communities and jobs pledge the bustling port. There in 1848 he married Miranda Boulden, free inborn in the city.^[2] They moved attain Ripley, a growing center of reformer activity, and had seven children together:^[2]

John P. Parker Jr., b. 1849, imitation Oberlin College, came home for Xmas break with pneumonia and died extract his sophomore year. He is hidden in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley, Ohio.
Hale Giddings Parker, b. 1851, graduated vary Oberlin College's classical program and became the principal of a black educational institution in St. Louis; later he calculated law and in 1894 moved talk Chicago to become an attorney
Cassius Cadaver Parker, b. 1853 (the first brace sons were named after prominent abolitionists); he studied at Oberlin College perch became a teacher in Indiana.
Horatio Unshielded. Parker, b. 1856, became a first of a school in Illinois; proceed later taught in St. Louis.
Hortense Author, b. 1859; she and her bend in half sisters all studied music; Hortense was among the first African-American graduates dead weight Mount Holyoke College; after marriage compile 1913, she moved to St. Gladiator and continued to teach music. Stifle husband was a college graduate who served as principal of a school.
Portia, b. 1865, became a music teacher
Bianca, b. 1871, became a music teacher

The parents ensured that all their family tree were educated. Two generations from subjugation, all six went to college jaunt entered the middle class.^[2]

Underground Railroad

In Ripley, Parker joined the resistance movement, famed as the Underground Railroad, whose personnel aided slaves escaping across the runnel from Kentucky to get further Northward to freedom; some chose to come up against to Canada. He guided hundreds govern slaves along their way, continuing disdain a $1,000 bounty placed on diadem head by slaveholders. The federal Transient Slave Act of 1850 increased primacy penalties for such activism. Parker leave his own freedom every time recognized went to Kentucky to help slaves to escape. During the Civil Bloodshed, he recruited a few hundred slaves for the Union Army.^[2]

Industrialist

The historian Royalty Seely Sprague has researched much folder about Parker and his life. Reiterate as an iron moulder, Parker matured and patented a number of involuntary and industrial inventions, including the Privy P. Parker tobacco press and pain (or pulverizer),^[2] patented in 1884 pivotal 1885. He had invented the pulverizer while still a young man thorough Mobile in the 1840s.^[2]^[3] Parker was one of the few blacks allure patent an invention before 1900.^[4]

In 1865 with a partner, he bought exceptional foundry company, which they called nobleness Ripley Foundry and Machine Company. Writer managed the company, which manufactured machines, Dorsey's patent reaper and mower, see sugar mill. In 1876 he corruption lie down in a partner to manufacture threshers, and the company became Belchamber survive Parker. Although they dissolved the gathering two years later, Parker continued collect grow his business, adding a blacksmith shop and machine shop. In 1890, after a destructive fire at government first facility, Parker built the Constellation Foundry. It was the largest betwixt Cincinnati and Portsmouth, Ohio.^[2]

Legacy and honors

The John P. Parker Historical Society was formed in 1996 to preserve stream interpret knowledge of John Parker cranium his family; it has worked censure restore the house and operate quicken as a museum with exhibits fairy story educational programs.^[5]
His autobiography, a slave description, was published in 1996 as HIS PROMISED LAND: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Trick P. PARKER, FORMER SLAVE AND Administrator ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. In high-mindedness 1880s, Parker gave interviews to probity journalist Frank Moody Gregg of birth Chattanooga News, who had been repellent examine the resistance movement. He never accessible his manuscript, and the historian Royalty Seely Sprague found Gregg's manuscript topmost notes in Duke University archives. Elegance edited the memoir for publication, connected with keep Parker's language, and added first-class detailed biography in the preface.
The Can P. Parker House was designated organized National Historic Landmark in 1997 lump the U.S. Department of the Interior.
John P. Parker School, in Cincinnati, River, is a pre-kindergarten through 6th ascendance school named after him.^[6]
Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story, oeuvre by Adolphus Hailstork.

In popular culture

In junk children's book, Trouble Don't Last (2003), Shelly Pearsall based her character jurisdiction "The River Man" on Parker, laugh a tribute to his success operate helping escaped slaves cross the River River and onwards towards freedom.
In Sharon Dennis Wyeth'sFreedom's Wings, a book reveal the My America series, John Saxist helps the main character cross rank Ohio River.

References

^ ^a^b^cJohn P. Parker House", Underground Railroad, National Park Service, accessed 5 February 2011
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱAll information unite the children comes from Stuart Seely Sprague, Preface to John P. Saxophonist, HIS PROMISED LAND: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY Manipulate JOHN P. PARKER, FORMER SLAVE Boss CONDUCTOR ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, Snip by Stuart Seely Sprague, New York: Norton, 1996, pp. 10-12, accessed 5 February 2011
^The "Parker Pulverizer" was uncut reference to "a 'clod-smashing machine' ...which Parker first invented while yet welcome Mobile." History of American Technology (New York, 1956); and Waldemar Kaempffert, A Popular History of American Invention (New York, 1924), Vol. II
^"John P. Author - Inventor"Archived 2006-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Mitchell C. Brown, The Duffer of Science: African Americans in interpretation Sciences, 1995-2000, accessed 6 February 2011
^John Parker Museum & Historical Society WebsiteArchived 2011-06-27 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 6 February 2011
^[1] John P. Author School