Susan Richardson (June 6, 1810 – June 16, 1904), also known as Aunt Susan and Susan Van Allen, was an enslaved person who escaped and later helped to found Allen Chapel AME in Galesburg, a town that was a known safe haven on the Underground Railroad. Her escape prompted the 1844 Illinois Supreme Court case Borders v. Hayes. Richardson helped escaped slaves on the underground railroad while she lived in Galesburg.
Early life
Susan “Sukey” Richardson, was born Susan Neil on June 6, 1810, in Virginia. She was enslaved by Andrew Borders after he received her from a dowry from his marriage to Martha Borders. The Borders’ moved from Georgia to Randolph County, Illinois on January 1, 1816, almost moving their four slaves, including Richardson. Illinois required all indentured servants to be registered, although it was considered a “free” territory. On January 10, 1817, at the age of five, Susan was officially indentured to Borders.
At the time of her escape, Richardson was about 31 years old and brought her three sons with her: Jarrot, about 12 years old, Anderson, almost 4, and Harrison, about 2. Another source claimed that her oldest child was 17 years old. Given descriptions of Jarrot, it is likely that Borders fathered Jarrot, most likely without Richardson's consent. It is reported that Borders threatening her sons prompted Richardson to run away along with 19/20 year-old Hannah, daughter of Sarah Morrison, a previous runaway slave of Borders.
Friends of Rational Liberty v. Borders
Friends of Rational Liberty v. Borders was a court case largely over the legality of slavery in Illinois, and took place in April 1842. The court case originated after Andrew Borders badly wounded Sarah Morrison's arm, an indentured servant he had acquired in 1825. The next night, Morrison escaped and went to the neighboring house of Matthew Chambers, and then later fled as to not be found by the Borders. Morrison had left behind her daughter Hannah in the care of Richardson. Borders sued Chambers for harboring Morrison, and a case was heard in April 1843. Borders won, but the case was appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, where in December 1843 the decision was reversed. Borders blamed the neighborhood for stealing and secreting his property. Some of these people came together to form an assembly called the “Friends of Rational Liberty,” which entered suit in Morrison's name to try the Borders for assault, resulting in the 1843 case Sarah v. Borders, or Borders v. Borders. Counsels on both sides agreed that to try the general question regarding whether slavery could constitutionally exist in Illinois. A large issue they took into consideration was the Ordinance of 1787 because Morrison was indentured before Illinois was officially a state. Andrew Borders won the case, arguing that slavery had always been permitted in the territory. After the Friends of Rational Liberty lost, they appealed the case to the Illinois Supreme Court to challenge the legality of holding slaves in Illinois. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the original judgment, stating that the court lacked the ability to make political decisions, and that the people should make the decisions on whether persons of color's rights should be fixed based on the state's constitution, though all of Border's slaves, including Richardson, had escaped before the verdict was officially handed down.
Richardson’s escape to freedom
Richardson escaped slave owner Andrew Borders on September 15, 1842, with her three children, accompanied by Hannah Morrison, another indentured servant to the Borders family. However, the exact timeline of Richardson and her children's runaway is unknown. Carol Pirtle's book titled Escape Betwixt Two Suns indicated that it was Wednesday, August 31, 1842, when the enslaved people escaped Borders. They apparently got on the Underground Railroad at Cairo to go to Canton and then reached Farmington, the extreme northeast corner of Fulton County, safely on September 5. On this journey, the enslaved people apparently arrived at William Hayes’ farm outside of Eden. Hayes allegedly helped Richardson and the children on their journey to Knoxville as their final destination. Testimonies from several residents living in Knoxville advocated for Hayes’ involvement in the escape. One claimed that Hayes had accompanied Richardson on a boat "up to the mouth of Coperras Creek" while another said part of the fugitives’ journey was in Hayes’ wagon. A citizen even claimed that Hayes had obtained certificates proving the slaves were free. Other witnesses argued against his participation in general. Hayes himself said he never aided the escape of the slaves in question.