The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 meant that slave owners could chase after their slaves into the free Northern states and recapture them and bring them back to the South. This meant that the Underground Railroad, which began in Ohio and ended in Ontario, Canada did so to get slaves out of the United States and into Canada where they would be safe and free.
In 1853 Reverend William Troy, a free black man in Cincinnati, Ohio has decided to break out of prison the slave Lewis Williams who has escaped from his masters down South but was caught and was going to be sent back South. Troy had a plan to free him and get him on the Underground Railroad.
When Lewis Williams went before the judge for his trial where he would be sentenced to go back to his masters, Troy had the courthouse filled with members of his church. He also had the lawyer make a long argument. When the signal was given Williams would duck down and crawl out of the courthouse and walk to the Reverend William Troy's house and wait for him to appear.
Later when Troy appeared they planned on sneaking him out but the police were doing a house to house search. So, Troy had Williams dress up in one of Troy's daughter's dresses and called a male friend of his to escort his "daughter" out for a walk on the town. It worked and later Troy was able to get Williams to the Underground Railroad and Williams was able to get to Canada. With his quick and creative thinking, Revered Troy was able to save the life of Lewis Williams and go on to save others like him.
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