A History of the Trial of Castner Hanway and Others, for Treason, at Philadelphia in November, 1851

This concise historical account follows the notorious 1851 treason trial in Philadelphia, where Castner Hanway and several others faced the courts over their involvement in the Christiana incident. Drawing on courtroom transcripts, prison records, newspaper reports, and the author’s own recollections, the narrative reconstructs the legal drama as it unfolded, giving listeners a vivid sense of the arguments, personalities, and public tensions that surrounded the case.

Beyond the courtroom, the work opens with a brief essay on the broader “slave question,” tracing early congressional attempts to grapple with slavery and showing how those unresolved debates set the stage for the trial. Written by a member of the Philadelphia bar, the text aims to clarify misconceptions that have circulated among the public, offering a grounded, documentary‑based perspective on a pivotal moment in pre‑Civil War America.