by Carol Denney, January 11, 2014 Stovall was a white man and Lee was his slave
Archy Lee decided to be free in California
saying I'm off to Hackett House to get me a shave
they came from Mississippi where slavery was legal
California was a free state before the Civil War
a man could have a slave if heading back to Mississippi
but Stovall came out west to stay and set up store
Chorus: you couldn't trust the courts back in 1857
just like today they don't always know the score
Archy Lee was freed because all of us are equal
San Francisco worked it out without a civil war
Stovall sent police down to Hackett House to get him
Stovall told police Lee was his property
but Hackett House was owned by smart black free men
who hired a couple lawyers bound to set him free
the first judge agreed that Lee should be a free man
but a second writ was issued putting Lee back in jail
and this time the court reversed its decision
and said Stovall could still own a man if he'd set sail
Chorus: you couldn't trust the courts back in 1857
just like today they don't always know the score
Archy Lee was freed because all of us are equal
San Francisco worked it out without a civil war
the story went round the streets of San Francisco
the people were taken by the tale of Archy Lee
they gathered in patrols by land and on water
determined to make sure no man was property
the young and the old, men and women together
stormed the Orizaba taking Archy out to sea
a third round of courts and the case was finally settled
and thanks to San Franciscans Archy Lee was finally free
Chorus: you couldn't trust the courts back in 1857
just like today they don't always know the score
Archy Lee was freed because all of us are equal
San Francisco worked it out without a civil war
San Francisco worked it out without a civil war