Who Were Levi and Catharine Coffin?
Article Summary
Levi and Catharine Coffin were Quakers, parents and abolitionists who helped freedom-seekers escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad. After settling in what is now Fountain City, Indiana, in 1826, the Coffins helped build a community network that provided assistance to freedom-seekers for approximately 20 years. Their religious beliefs, willingness to challenge unjust laws and ability to involve others in their efforts made them important figures in Underground Railroad history.
Table of Contents
- Who were Levi and Catharine Coffin?
- Why did Levi and Catharine Coffin oppose slavery?
- How did the Coffins become involved in the Underground Railroad?
- What risks did the Coffins face by helping freedom-seekers?
- How did the Coffins help build an Underground Railroad network?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Levi and Catharine Coffin?
Levi and Catharine Coffin were originally from North Carolina. In 1826, they moved to Indiana and settled in the community now known as Fountain City. At the time, the community was known as Newport.
Levi was a successful businessman and merchant who owned a dry goods store. The success of his business allowed him to invest in other businesses and property throughout the community, providing the Coffin family with a comfortable life.
The Coffins were also practicing Quakers, as were many of the people who settled in the community. Their faith and opposition to slavery would become central to the role they played in helping freedom-seekers.
They were also parents raising a family while carrying out this work. Their children knew what their parents were doing, and at least one of their children later recalled that the children had a part to play. Although the details of their involvement are limited, the accounts suggest that helping freedom-seekers was a family endeavor.
Why did Levi and Catharine Coffin oppose slavery?
The Coffins’ Quaker faith played an important role in shaping their opposition to slavery. Quakers were among some of the earliest and most vocal religious opponents of slavery in America, with anti-slavery advocacy dating back to the colonial period.
Levi and Catharine had been raised to view slavery as inhumane and morally wrong. They believed slavery was a sin and that their actions should reflect those beliefs.
For the Coffins, opposing slavery therefore required more than simply believing it was wrong. Their convictions led them to take action by helping people who were attempting to escape enslavement.
How did the Coffins become involved in the Underground Railroad?
When Levi and Catharine arrived in Indiana in 1826, they likely did not anticipate that the next 20 years of their lives would become so closely connected with helping people escape slavery.
Levi later wrote that they discovered their home was “on the line” of what became known as the Underground Railroad. The term itself was not being used when the Coffins arrived in Indiana, but Levi was describing a pattern they began to recognize after settling in the community.
Roads leading north from the South were being used by enslaved people escaping Kentucky and attempting to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Ohio River.
Levi was not entirely new to assisting people escaping slavery. While living in North Carolina, he had already helped enslaved people seeking freedom. That experience gave him an understanding of how assistance could be provided, even as he recognized that doing so could violate federal law.
What risks did the Coffins face by helping freedom-seekers?
Although Indiana did not permit slavery, federal law still created serious legal risks for people who assisted freedom-seekers. Levi understood that some of his actions violated federal law and that there could be consequences for helping people escape slavery.
Today, the Coffins are often viewed as people who did the right thing at a critical moment in history. At the time, however, their actions could put them in direct conflict with the law.
That conflict created an important moral question for the Coffins and other members of their Quaker community: If they believed slavery was wrong, how should those beliefs be reflected in their actions?
For Levi and Catharine, the answer was clear. They were willing to accept the risks associated with helping freedom-seekers because they believed their actions needed to reflect their opposition to slavery.
How did the Coffins help build an Underground Railroad network?
The Underground Railroad in the community extended beyond the Coffin home. Over approximately 20 years, Levi and Catharine worked with neighbors and other members of the community to develop a network of people willing to assist freedom-seekers.
Building that network took time. Some members of the Quaker community were uncomfortable with deliberately breaking the law, even though they shared an opposition to slavery. The Coffins and others had to confront the question of whether their actions truly reflected their anti-slavery beliefs.
Eventually, multiple homes in the community became associated with helping freedom-seekers. This network was important because the Coffin home was not always the safest place for someone escaping slavery to stay.
By the 1840s, slave catchers were traveling farther north into the area, increasing the danger for freedom-seekers and the people assisting them. Having multiple homes and community members involved provided additional options when the risk of staying at one location became too great.
Discover the Coffins’ Story
The story of Levi and Catharine Coffin is about more than two individuals. It is also the story of a family, a faith community and a network of people who had to decide what they were willing to do when their moral convictions came into conflict with the law.
At the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site, visitors can learn more about the Coffins, the freedom-seekers they assisted and the community that helped make this part of the Underground Railroad possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where were Levi and Catharine Coffin from?
Levi and Catharine Coffin were originally from North Carolina. They moved to Indiana in 1826 and settled in Newport, the community now known as Fountain City.
What did Levi Coffin do for a living?
Levi Coffin was a businessman and merchant who owned a successful dry goods store. His success allowed him to invest in additional businesses and property in the community.
Were Levi and Catharine Coffin Quakers?
Yes. Levi and Catharine Coffin were practicing Quakers. Their faith strongly influenced their opposition to slavery and their belief that they should take action to help people seeking freedom.
Did the Coffins’ children know about their Underground Railroad activities?
Yes. The Coffins were raising their family while assisting freedom-seekers, and their children were aware of what their parents were doing. One of their children later recalled that the children had a role to play, although the historical record provides limited details about their specific responsibilities.
Did other people in Fountain City help with the Underground Railroad?
Yes. The Coffin home was part of a broader community network. Over time, neighbors and other community members became involved, and several homes have been identified as places where freedom-seekers stayed. This network became especially important as slave catchers traveled farther north and assisting freedom-seekers became increasingly dangerous.
