Silas Kent (New Earth)

History

Silas Kent was the progenitor of the modern Kent family bloodline. He was born either in the very late 1700s or the early 1800s. In 1834 he married Abigail Colier and the two lived in a large estate in Boston, Massachusetts. The Kents sired eight children together. In April of 1854, abolitionist Daniel Read Anthony asked Silas to help out with the Emigrant Aid Society. Silas agreed to take his two oldest sons, Nathaniel and Jebediah to Lawrence, Kansas to help bolster the abolitionist movement that had been growing since the declaration of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Silas sold his print shop to a neighbor named David Bowes and began traveling to Lawrence on July 17th. On July 28th, the Kents arrived in Kansas City where they met future Kansas governor Charles Robinson. Robinson helped to keep the Kents safe from Missouri's "border ruffians" who were determined to keep Kansas bolted in the Union as a slave state.

On August 1st, Silas and his sons arrived in Lawrence, Kansas. He set up a small print-shop with a portable press that he had brought with him from Boston. Silas's abolitionist views angered many pro-slavery residents, not the least of which, was the surly Luther Reid. Reid tried to run the Kents out of Lawrence, but Silas never backed down and held firm to his morals.

By March of 1855, Silas had built a small home for his sons and he and continued publishing articles for the Plains Speaker at his print-shop. During this time, he met a controversial political activist named John Henry Lane.

Silas Kent and Luther Reid came to blows once again when it came time for the citizens of Kansas to vote in the Free-State Elections. Silas held Luther's crew at bay with his Sharps rifle, but it became obvious to him that Luther was a man to be reckoned with.

Silas Kent attended the territorial elections and was angered when he learned how pro-slavery legislators had manipulated the ballots. In defiance of such corruption, Silas printed the entire Declaration of Independence on the front page of the Plains Speaker. That evening, Silas was returning to his home when he was fatally shot in the back by person's unknown. He was buried in Lawrence by his sons Nate and Jeb. The boys always suspected that Luther Reid was somehow responsible for their father's murder.

Links and References

• 1 Appearances of Silas Kent (New Earth)
• Minor Appearances of Silas Kent (New Earth)
• Media Silas Kent (New Earth) was Mentioned in
• Images featuring Silas Kent (New Earth)
• Quotations by or about Silas Kent (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Silas Kent (New Earth)

Footnotes