John Van Zandt (1791-1847) was an Ohio abolitionist whose refusal to pay damages for assisting freedom seekers led to his conviction under the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act and prompted the US Supreme Court’s decision in Jones v. Van Zandt (1847), which affirmed the constitutionality of the 1793 law.
ESSAYS: Finkelman
ROLES: UGRR Operative