Complex sentence: Richard Preston, (c.1791--16 July 1861), was religious leader and abolitionist who escaped slavery in Virginia to become an important leader for the African Nova Scotian community and in the international struggle against slavery.
Split into simpler sentences: Richard Preston, (c.1791--16 July 1861), was a religious leader and abolitionist. He escaped slavery in Virginia to become an important leader for the African Nova Scotian community and in the international struggle against slavery.