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16Results for "June 25, 1850"
Stories

Commencement Orations
by Teal Arcadi and Julia Grummitt | Antebellum (1820-1861)
As tensions over slavery led to sectional crisis in the first half of the 19th century, Princeton’s commencement addresses became increasingly pro-slavery in tone.

White Supremacy at the Commencement of 1836
by Joseph Yannielli | Antebellum (1820-1861)
Princeton student Thomas Ancrum attacked black abolitionist minister Theodore Wright during the commencement of 1836. The incident exposed the commitment to white supremacy among college students and officials.

John Maclean Jr. and Princeton’s Commitment to Sectional Harmony
by Craig Hollander | Antebellum (1820-1861), Civil War (1861-1865)
John Maclean Jr., Princeton’s tenth president (1854-1868), was a non-slaveholder and held moderate antislavery views. His commitment to attracting southern students to the college and reducing sectional tension on campus, however, contributed to Princeton’s conservatism in the years leading up to the Civil War.

Princeton Students Attempt to Lynch an Abolitionist
by Joseph Yannielli | Antebellum (1820-1861)
In September 1835, a crowd of students descended on Princeton’s African American neighborhood to apprehend an abolitionist. The assault underscored the presence on campus of a large number of students committed to slavery and white supremacy.

Princeton’s Fugitive Slaves
by Joseph Yannielli | Colonial & Early National (1746-1820), Antebellum (1820-1861)
Princeton residents published at least 28 newspaper advertisements for runaway slaves between 1774 and 1818. Each tells a unique story of courage and resistance in the face of tremendous odds.
Primary Sources

Commencement Address by David Kaufman
June 25, 1850 | Antebellum (1820-1861)
A pro-slavery address delivered by David S. Kaufman (class of 1833) at the Princeton commencement for the class of 1850.