If Democrats had staged his rescue and formed an antislavery party, the name Joshua Glover would be famous. Now, Filmmaker Michael Jahr is looking to make it so, by producing his latest documentary, “Liberty at Stake.”
The film takes its name from the cries of abolitionist newspaper Editor Sherman Booth who rallied citizens to Glover’s aid in 1854 by riding through the streets of Milwaukee shouting that a man’s liberty was at stake. That man was Joshua Glover, a fugitive slave from Missouri who was being held in jail so he could be returned to slavery, in accordance with pre-Civil War federal law.
As the story of Glover’s plight spread, so too did the outrage in the free state, to the point that nearly five thousand citizens banded together, broke Glover out of prison and helped him make his way to Canada, where he lived out the remainder of his life as a free man.
Nine days after Glover was freed, Booth and a group of Whigs, Free Soil Party members, and Democrats opposed to slavery met in a Ripon, Wisconsin schoolhouse to form what would become the Republican Party. Six years later, Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected president and began his work to end slavery in the U.S.
Jahr debuted a 12-minute version of “Liberty at Stake” last July at the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More recently, it was screened at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Due to the popular reception of the mini-documentary, Jahr has begun seeking the funding needed to produce a feature-length version of “Liberty at Stake,” in order to tell the full story of how courageous free Americans came together to save a countryman from bondage, leading to the formation of the Republican Party and, ultimately, abolition.
Jahr has partnered with Living Stories, Ltd., a nonprofit 501(c)(3), making all donations tax-exempt, and launched a fundraising webpage for his project.
When released, the full-length version of “Liberty at Stake” will tell a story of heroism Americans won’t hear about in classrooms, where they’re being indoctrinated by anti-American teachers, or see in the liberal propaganda being passed off as entertainment by Hollywood.
Prominent conservatives have stressed the importance of making Americans aware of Glover’s story and the lessons it holds through a film like “Liberty at Stake”:
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI): “The evil of slavery should never be forgotten, nor should the fact that many Americans fought heroically to end it. The story of Joshua Glover can serve to remind us that even in the face of evil, good can and must prevail.”
Fmr. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): Joshua Glover’s story “shows that standing up for our principles and our fellow citizens can influence the trajectory of our country for centuries to come. I cannot wait for more people to hear this amazing story.”
Fmr. HHS Secretary and Governor Tommy Thompson (R-WI): “No story better captures the compassion and fierce independence of Wisconsin Badgers than that of the fugitive slave Joshua Glover and the estimated 5,000 Wisconsinites who took action to prevent his return to bondage. ‘Liberty at Stake’ will showcase the role Wisconsin played in this national drama and the shared fight for freedom and dignity.”
Those interested in supporting the production of “Liberty at Stake” can do so by making a tax-deductible donation online.