# Understanding H. RES. 324: The Pearl Resolution

This resolution honors a remarkable but little-known moment in American history when 77 enslaved people attempted to escape slavery in 1848. On April 16 of that year, these men, women, and children boarded a ship called the Pearl in Washington, D.C., hoping to sail to freedom. The escape was organized by a mix of people—free Black men named Paul Jennings and Paul Edmonson, white abolitionists including the ship's captain Daniel Drayton, and supporters who financed the effort. It represents the largest known mass escape attempt by enslaved people in American history.

The escape didn't succeed as planned. Slave owners quickly organized a posse that caught up with the Pearl near Maryland and brought the ship and its passengers back to Washington. The captured escapees were sold to slave traders and sent to New Orleans, though two were later purchased and freed by a church in Brooklyn. The failed escape sparked the Washington Riot of 1848, where pro-slavery mobs attacked both the white abolitionists involved and free Black residents. The men who helped organize the escape, including Captain Drayton, were arrested and imprisoned, though they were eventually pardoned after serving their sentences.

What this resolution actually does is straightforward: it's Congress officially recognizing and honoring the people involved in the Pearl incident—both those who attempted to escape slavery and those who risked everything to help them. It's a formal acknowledgment that this event matters to American history and deserves to be remembered. The resolution doesn't create any new laws or programs; it's essentially a statement that says "we recognize the courage and sacrifice of these people." Historically, the Pearl incident is believed to have inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe when she wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin," one of the most influential anti-slavery novels ever published.

Recognizing the historic abolitionist events surrounding the Pearl, and honoring its legacy in American history.

Norton, Eleanor Holmes

 <p>This resolution honors the legacy of all those who furthered freedom from slavery and were involved in the Pearl Incident and recognizes their historical importance. (On April 15, 1848, 77 slaves attempted to flee the District of Columbia and Alexandria, Virginia, on the ship the <i>Pearl</i>.)</p>