Speech of John Hossack, Convicted of a Violation of the Fugitive Slave Law Before Judge Drummond, Of The United States District Court, Chicago, Ill.

Powerful and unapologetic, Speech of John Hossack, Convicted of a Violation of the Fugitive Slave Law Before Judge Drummond, Of The United States District Court, Chicago, Ill. by John Hossack is a stirring abolitionist oration delivered on the eve of the Civil War. Hossack’s plea, given after his conviction for aiding the rescue of a fugitive slave in Ottawa, Illinois (October 1859), lays out a moral argument against the Fugitive Slave Law and exposes the tensions between law, conscience, and citizenship in antebellum America. Part courtroom address, part political manifesto, the speech weaves Hossack’s immigrant life story—from Scotland and Canada to Illinois—with a broader critique of slavery, federal enforcement, and community resistance. Its themes include civil disobedience, legal ethics, and the power of individual conviction, set against the charged historical context of 1860 and the American abolitionist movement. As historical nonfiction and political rhetoric, the text preserves a firsthand voice of Northern resistance and the human stakes behind legal battles over slavery. Ideal for listeners of American history, legal history, rhetoric, and social justice, this audiobook offers a vivid primary source for students, activists, and anyone seeking a passionate account of conscience confronting unjust law.