Burns was a slave who escaped to Boston in 1854, was arrested at the instigation of his owner, and whose trial caused a furor between abolitionists and those determined to enforce the Fugitive Slave Acts.

Published in 1854, this is an account of the 1854 Boston slave riot and the trial of Anthony Burns who was captured as a fugitive slave, which spawned the riot.

The fascinating story of Boston's violent past is told for the first time in this history of the city's riots, from the food shortage uprisings in the 18th century to the anti-busing riots of the 20th century.