“He says that before I should have my children he will blow their brains out”: The Battle between African American Parents and Maryland's Orphans’ Court in the Nineteenth Century

Based on a collection of letters compiled by the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau) in the nineteenth century, this article argues that African American parents in the areas around and including Baltimore were subject to continued harassment on the part of former slave owners to extend the condition of slavery for Black children. Former slave owners went so far as to abduct children, lie to the court, and even use violence when African Americans and their allies resisted what was taking place. Black families sought help from the Freedmen's Bureau, the U.S. military, and reputable white men in their communities to aid them in pursuit of their stolen children.