About Calvin Fairbank
Calvin Fairbank was an American abolitionist and Methodist minister from New York state who was twice convicted in Kentucky of aiding the escape of slaves, and served a total of 19 years in the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Frankfort. Fairbank is believed to have aided the escape of 47 slaves. Pardoned in 1849 after four years of his first sentence, Fairbank returned to his Underground Railroad work. Listening to the stories told by two escaped slaves whom he met at a Methodist quarterly meeting, the young Fairbank became strongly anti-slavery. Effectively Lewis Hayden ransomed Fairbank, as he raised the $650 demanded by his former master to approve the pardon.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.