Delaware Senator urges President Trump to pardon abolitionist

DOVER, Del. – Delaware State Senator Eric Buckson has sent a letter to President Trump asking him to pardon an Underground Railroad hero.

The letter calls for a posthumous pardon for Delaware Underground Railroad hero and abolitionist, John Hunn. He was born in 1818 and is widely regarded as the architect of Delaware’s Underground Railroad.

Hunn was convicted of federal crimes for his work to help free slaves, an injustice that Senator Buckson believes should be rectified.

“I think it’s high time, if we have the means, that we take a look at history and right that wrong,” Sen. Buckson said. “Right that wrong, not just for him and his memory, but maybe for his existing family members today.”

The Delaware State Senate unanimously passed SR 12 in April 2023, officially requesting a posthumous pardon for Mr. Hunn. Letters were sent to President Biden in April 2023 and again in January 2025, but despite the thousands of pardons issued by former President Biden, the effort remained unresolved as his term concluded.

“John Hunn took incredible personal risks to fight the ferocious barbarity of slavery,” added Buckson. “Correcting this historical wrong would send a powerful message about our commitment to justice and equality as a nation.”

Copies of the letter Senator Buckson sent to the President were also sent to the state’s federal delegation – Congresswoman Sarah McBride, and U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester.