Throughout the world, there are monuments that are strategically placed in specific locations and that have been thought out to the extreme when being built. Not only are these monuments made to improve the overall visual appeal of certain locations and cities, but they are are also supposed to signify moments of history with extreme symbolism and meaning. One of these time periods that are deserving of this amount of remembrance include the time period in which slavery was both prominent and revoked during the 19th century. The concept of slavery was currently being debated on whether or not it should be abolished throughout the nation, and the State of New York eventually became one of the first states in the Union to abolish slavery. The…show more content… Overall, the Jerry Rescue Monument has physical aspects that are significant in representing the history of the idea of slavery in the 19th century. This monument includes three different brick walls placed next to each other; the center one being straight with front detailing and the other two angled off behind it. The center wall of the monument holds the title “Jerry Rescue” on top written in stone with three men painted in black under it, looking as if they are running. Their figures take place on top of two steps of stone directly under the “Jerry Rescue” title, with “October 1, 1851” written on the first step. The outer two brick walls appear to be blank on the front, but there are plaques on the back sides of the walls. One of the plaques hold information about the symbolism of the monument while the other one has credits about the building of the monument. The center wall has a plaque on the back of it as well, holding several paragraphs of information regarding the significance and events leading up to the creation of this monument. These plaques were placed on the back of the monument most likely because they are not meant to be the…show more content… In 1827, a year before the dirtiest election ever of President Andrew Jackson, the State of New York became one of the first states in the Union to abolish slavery and become a free state. Eventually, by around the mid-1800s, Syracuse became known nationally as a center of anti-slavery movements and activity. Several people that aided slaves to freedom, known as Harriet Tubman, Gerrit Smith, Rev. Samuel J. May, and Rev. Jermain W. Loguen lived in the area and were remembered for helping these slaves on their journeys from the US to Canada. They helped these runaway slaves along secret routes and in hiding along the Underground Railroad. Eventually, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850, making matters regarding slavery even worse. The Fugitive Slave Law was part of the Compromise of 1850 between Northern Free-Soilers and Southern slave-holders regarding the standings of runaway slaves who escaped to new territory. It provided that escaped slaves return to their territories, since they were “property” and were not deemed as human even once they were “free”. This law was very unfavored in the North, as the North opposed the ideas of slavery and this further stated that people of slavery were not free and would not be free even if they have escaped. This law was eventually recognized to be a spark leading to the American Civil War
