Slave Narratives of the Underground Railroad

by Christine Rudisel (Editor), Bob Blaisdell (Editor)

"Loved this and I'm not a big history buff. This was an eye-opener. This will make you have an even deeper respect for those who went through slavery and all they endured." — Pollard House
During the 1850s and 1860s more than 100,000 people escaped slavery in the American South by following the Underground Railroad, a complex network of secret routes and safe houses. This inexpensive compilation of firsthand accounts offers authentic insights into the Civil War era and African-American history with compelling narratives by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and lesser-known refugees.
Thirty selections include the story of Eliza Harris, "The Slave Woman Who Crossed the Ohio River on the Drifting Ice with Her Child in Her Arms," whose experience inspired a memorable scene in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Other accounts include that of Henry "Box" Brown, who hid in a crate mailed to Philadelphia abolitionists; Theophilus Collins's escape after "A Desperate, Bloody Struggle — Gun, Knife and Fire Shovel, Used by Infuriated Master"; excerpts from Harriet Jacobs's 1861 narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl ; and the remarkable flight of William and Ellen Craft, "Female Slave in Male Attire, Fleeing as a Planter, with Her Husband as Her Body Servant."

Genres: History, African American, Nonfiction, Biography

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jessaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Winning Book

I didn’t realize that we had actual account from the slaves of their own escapes from slavery, so this book was a surprise to me.

A slave makes a crate mail himself a free state to an abolishment’s office. He put in a little water and some biscuits and that was all he had for the 26 hours that it would take him to get there. Another slave learns to bark like a dog so he can frighten away his pursuers. Some women dressed as men. Another woman, carrying her baby, jumped across broken up ice on a river to escape.

I believe there are 30 accounts from those who had escaped or had tried to escape. All heart wrenching and eye opening. This is the book that should have won the Pulitzer for what could be more real than that which was real?

Fredrick Douglas’ escape is in this book. Also, the woman who had killed her own child to prevent it from growing up in slavery, is also in it Toni Morrison used her story in her Pulitzer Prize winning book, “Beloved.” I have told myself that I must try to read her book again, as well as do a reread of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone in the United States should be required to read slave narratives, in order to truly understand why race relations in this country continue to be so fraught. And of all the slave narratives I read, I am more convinced than ever that Harriet Tubman is the greatest and most courageous American who ever lived.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The volume is packed full of slave narratives, many penned in the late 19th-Century by William Sill, a son of slaves. The remainder are drawn in from other sources by the editors, Christine Rudisel and Bob Blaisdell, both professors of English at Kingsborough Community College, Brooklyn New York. The stories unpack the harried and sometimes, horrific environment of 19th-Century slavery, and the thirst for liberty. The tales can be brutal, but also inspiring. There is a bit of a propaganda edge to the narratives, since many of them were collected for the purposes of vindicating the anti-slavery movement, and the Underground Railroad. Several of the accounts are from interviews given to various Vigilance Committees not long after a person reached safety. The stories are a mixture of sadness and celebration, pain and perseverance, sacrifice and suffering. It is a book worth reading, and having in one's library.

[degelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book I needed to read at this time. I think others could benefit from it too.

These are accounts of people who succeeded at escaping terrible conditions and made something out of their lives. Although I'm sure there are plenty of other stories about heartbreak, failure, injustice and death, it doesn't take away from these survivors' struggles and joy upon attaining their freedom. They laid the groundwork for the generations that followed.

Of course there are plenty of people who risk their safety and lives to help these fugitives along, breaking the law and defying their own communities. These are stark reminders that doing the right thing is always a choice. An unpopular choice at times? Sure. A brave choice? Always.

In short, this anthology highlights the best examples of humanity escaping the worst examples of humanity. The contrast is there and it's laid bare. When I read this it was a reminder of how fighting for your rights and protecting/helping others is necessary, even when it's like swimming upstream. Considering how these same injustices echo in the present, that's more important than ever.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

I have to admit that I don't know nearly as much as I should about the struggle of slaves in America and their flight to freedom and emancipation, despite the fact that there's an slavery underground house just a few blocks from my home. Certainly I've read about it in history classes, but it was always just a concept that we read about, to me.

What this collection did was make it much more personal, because the essays included are told by the slaves who have escaped to freedom. Here, the horrors of slavery become real ("I think slavery is the next thing to hell. If a person would send another into bondage, he would, it appears to me, be bad enough to send him into hell, if he could" says Harriet Tubman). To endure what these people did; to be hunted; to hide at day and move at night in unfamiliar territory; to leave behind family (if they weren't already sold and sent away) ... the conditions for these people had to be absolutely horrific.

I think this came clearest for me in the very simple "Letter from His Old Mistress and His Reply" by Reverend J. W. Loguen. A woman (clearly down on her luck after her husband has passed away) writes a letter to her runaway, former slave, trying to convince him to buy his freedom for $1000 and appeals to his Christian charity. His response is tremendous.

All of the essays and recollections here are really great (in an educational way for those of us who can never imagine this sort of life). I was also moved by "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs and "Born on a Slave Ship" by Margaret. But truly, everything here is powerful and reminds the reader how strong these people had to be to do what they did ... and of course these are only some of the stories from those who successfully made the escape to freedom.

This book contains the following essays:

"Arrived by Adams' Express" (Henry Box Brown) by William Sill
"Narrative of William Wells Brown, a Fugitive Slave (excerpt)" by William Wells Brown
"Ex-President Tyler's Household Loses an Aristocratic "Article"" (James Hambleton Christian) by William Still
"Arrival from Delaware, 1858: A Desperate, Bloody Struggle - Gun, Knife and Fire Shovel, Used by an Infuriated Master" (Theophilus Collins) by William Still
"An Abolitionist in the Underground" (Seth Concklin) by William Still
"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas" by Frederick Douglas
"Blood Flowed Freely: Two Passengers Secreted in a Vessel Loaded with Spirits of Turpentine p Shrouds Prepared t Prevent Being Smoked to Death" (Abram Galloway and Richard Eden) by William Still
"The Slave Mother Who Killed Her Child Rather Than See It Taken Back to Slavery" (Margaret Garner) by Levi Coffin
"Fleeing from Davis, a Negro Trader, Secreted Under a Hotel, Up a Tree, Under a Floor, in a Thicket, on a Steamer" (Charles Gilbert) by William Still
“How Their Grandpa Brought Emancipation to Loads of Slaves” (Arnold Gragston) by Federal Writers’ Project American Guide, Pearl Randolph
"Ten Years in the Penitentiary for Having a Copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin" (Samuel Green, alias Wesley Kinnard) by William Still
"Slave-Holder in Maryland with Three Colored Wives" (Jamie Griffin, alias Thomas Brown) by William Still
"Arrival from North Carolina, 1857—Feet Slit for Running Away, Flogged, Stabbed, Stayed in the Hollow of a Big Poplar Tree, Visited by a Snake, Abode in a Cave" (Harry Grimes) by William Still
"The Slave-Hunting Tragedy in Lancaster County, in September 1851: Treason at Christiana" (James Hamlet and Others) by William Still
"The Slave Woman Who Crossed the Ohio River on the Drifting Ice with Her Child in Her Arms" (Eliza Harris) by Levi Coffin
"The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849)" by Josiah Henson
"Five Years and One Month Secreted" (John Henry Hill) by William Still
"Arrival from Maryland, 1859" (Ann Maria Jackson and Her Seven Children) by William Still
"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861)" by Harriet Jacobs
"Trial of the Emancipators of Col. J. H. Wheeler’s Slaves, Jane Johnson and Her Two Little Boys" (Jane Johnson) by William Still
"Arrival from the Old Dominion: Nine Very Fine 'Articles'" (Lew Jones, Oscar Payne, Mose Wood, Dave Diggs, Jack, Hen, and Bill Dade, and Joe Ball) by William Still
"Letter from His Old Mistress and His Reply [The Liberator]" by Reverend J.W. Loguen
"Arrivals from Different Places: Captured and Carried Back" (Matilda Mahoney and Dr. J. W. Pennington’s Brother and Sons) by William Still
"Born on a Slave Ship" (Margaret) by Eber M. Pettit
"Arrival from Virginia, 1858" (Mary Frances Melvin, Eliza Henderson, and Nancy Grantham) by William Still
"Seeing a Ray of Hope She Availed Herself of the Opportunity to Secure Her Freedom” (Aunt Hannah Moore) by William Still
"Arrival from Virginia, 1858" (Alfred S. Thornton) by William Still
"Narrative of Sojourner Truth" by Sojourner Truth
"Harriet Tubman: The Moses of her People)" and "'Moses' Arrives with Six Passengers" (Harriet Tubman) by William Still
"Escape from Alabama Is Almost Impossible" (Philip Younger) by Benjamin Drew
Appendix: The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: “An Act Respecting Fugitives from Justice, and Persons Escaping from the Service of Their Masters” [United States Congress]
Bibliography

This is an important book and it really should be read by all high school and college students.

Looking for a good book? Editors Christine Rudisel and Bob Blaisdell have put together a fantastic collection of stories of slaves who have managed to make it to freedom with this book, Slave Narratives of the Underground Railroad.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Nan Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style in which this book is written is a little cumbersome and the stories presented don't go into much detail regarding the lives of slaves and their escape from slavery but it is important in that is tells how humans have an innate need for freedom. There are enough references to the horrors of slavery to help one understand that the racism was rampant, that the cruelty of slavery should never happen again.
That racism still exists in the year 2020 is simply unfathomable. This book does bring to attention that we are all human, we are all one, that we should be treated equally.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that this wasn’t mandatory reading in school is all the evidence I need that my education was largely BS. THESE ARE TRUE FREEDOM FIGHTERS. These are true hero stories. They are miraculous and they’re filled with proof of God. Reading them puts a lot in perspective and fills me with awe and gratitude. I’m so glad these records exist. Justice still hasn’t been served for these historical wrongs.

[MJ Melvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent source for the learning what the courageous people endured during their time as a slave and what they risked, and sometimes lost, in their flight to freedom. Be warned, it is depressing, but our history often is.

[Shirley Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I have been interested in the Slave stories since I was quite young and have always felt sympathy for the slaves. Life for them was brought to life in the book and my heart went out to them and the hardships they endured to be free. A great read.

[Joel Swokowski]

Important, sad, inspiring, important

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book that was very hard to read. I've always been interested in stories about the underground railroad.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

During the 1850s and 1860s more than 100,000 people escaped slavery in the American South by following the Underground Railroad, a complex network of secret routes and safe houses. This inexpensive compilation of firsthand accounts offers authentic insights into the Civil War era and African-American history with compelling narratives by Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and lesser-known refugees.
Thirty selections include the story of Eliza Harris, "The Slave Woman Who Crossed the Ohio River on the Drifting Ice with Her Child in Her Arms," whose experience inspired a memorable scene in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Other accounts include that of Henry "Box" Brown, who hid in a crate mailed to Philadelphia abolitionists; Theophilus Collins's escape after "A Desperate, Bloody Struggle—Gun, Knife and Fire Shovel, Used by Infuriated Master"; excerpts from Harriet Jacobs's 1861 narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl; and the remarkable flight of William and Ellen Craft, "Female Slave in Male Attire, Fleeing as a Planter, with Her Husband as Her Body Servant."

Being an Australian, we don't have the history of slavery like that of the American South. This collection of either first-hand accounts or stories from those who assisted with escapes, is a fascinating look at a part of the worlds' history that is looked upon with such sorrow and sadness.

There are some very famous names in this collection: Eliza Harris, whose brave and daring exploits became the inspiration for a very memorable scene in Uncle Tom's Cabin; Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas. Their exploits, and those who assisted them, are a testament to the time and the desire for freedom.

Each "escapee" has a chapter dedicated to them, which makes this book easy to pick up and put down. The narratives are easy to read as the stories tell of some ultimate hardships and eventual victories.

One thing I would have preferred is either less stories and more details for others; or a bit of an introduction to slavery or the Underground Railway for those non-US readers to get a clearer picture of the time and setting. I have a rough understanding of the period but this book didn't really add to what I already knew (apart from some of the slaves mentioned in the book.)

If you have an interest in history, slavery and general feats of heroism and bravery, I suggest you give this a try - it is certainly a worthwhile book.


Paul
ARH

[Patricia Reding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for NetGalley.

It is hard to imagine that it was only 150 years or so ago that the institution of slavery existed in this country. That history is a testament to the depths of evil to which mankind can descend—and it is a tale that applies to most of history in most of the world. Thus, it is an even greater testament when mankind struggles its way forward. The battle ahead in this country was taken on when the eyes of those of the larger community were opened to the truth. Once done, they sought change and prepared to pay with their lives if necessary to achieve it.

While concentrating on sins of the past does not change nor correct things, a study of those events can serve to see that such evils are not repeated. Thus, I have spent some time over the years reading the stories of freed slaves and of those who assisted them. My favorite of all time is Booker T. Washington’s account in Up From Slavery. One of the items on my “bucket list” is to go to Tuskegee Institute one day. Washington’s insight all those years ago, still serves us well today. Indeed, I think it should be on everyone’s required reading list. But for the present, I address those stories in Slave Narratives of the Under Ground Railroad.

The editors did a nice job of collecting a variety of stories, in some cases told by the former slaves themselves, and in others, by those who assisted them in their fight for freedom. It is shocking to read an account of a man willing to have himself shipped to a port in the free north, of a woman who carried her child across broken chunks of ice on a river toward freedom, and more. It is also important to understand the power of government, of statues and court rulings—power that when exercised imposes the will of elected officials on the lives of all. (Remember that on election day.) Such was the case with the The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, well discussed in the text. But what I took out of these stories that I wish to carry with me goes beyond the terrors slaves experienced. It goes to the kindness they found in others. Many risked their lives and fortunes to escape their chains, and many others to end the institution of slavery in this country. Their investments were well made and we honor them when we learn of their exploits.

Also posted at www.Oathtaker.com and on BookLikes, added to Facebook and tweeted, and cover pinned.

[Truusje · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley*

When I was a child I had a record that told the story of Uncle Tom's Cabin. At the time I was too young to really understand it all, but one thing I have never forgotten was the part about Eliza who crossed a river by jumping from ice floe to ice floe ("en Eliza sprong van schots op schots" as my record said), all of that with a baby in her arms. I had never realised there was a real-life Eliza who escaped slavery in this way.
Slave Narratives of the Underground tells Eliza's story together with many others who managed to escape and make their way north. One woman remained hidden in some sort of attic for seven years, a man had himself nailed into a box, a woman dressed herself as a planter with her husband as faithful sevant, a man hid himself underneath a hotel for weeks. Story after incredible story, some heartbreaking. For example the woman who killed her young child rather than have it return to slavery.

Recently I have been surprised by how little I know about this very black page in history, and how few books I've come across over the years who deal with this subject. Therefore I was very interested in reading these narratives, and I wasn't disappointed. There were several very interesting stories in the book, however, I felt there were just too many that didn't really add anything to stories I had already read. Also, quite a few stories were very short; I would have preferred fewer but longer and with more depth. I realise the focus of this book is the narratives but I would have liked some more background information about slavery in general and the underground railroad (and the people involved) in specific. Since most of the stories were written down at the time by William Still, the language used was sometimes archaic and hard to understand. Still, I would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

[Tiz. T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in history, and, being European, my knowledge of US history had always been sketchy at best. I had wondered about slavery in the US and about the corageous people who manage to excape from it. Still, most of what is found in libraries is usually a fictionalized account that, while entartaining, has not the same strenght as a simple chronicle of the facts.
I did found something on the gutemberg project, but the style of ex-slaves writing their memoires was often hard to read. Also, the slaves who could write memoires were often comparatively lucky slaves who had been given an education.

Enter this book.
It a "simple" anthology of slaves telling their own tales on how they excape -or, in some case, not excape- from slavery. In their own words it tells us of how their lives where, on how hard and dangerous excape from slavery was. There are some moments in which I have been amused and awed by those people resourcefulness and some in which I have grieved at their failed attempts.

This books also depicts the fearless help that other people, white people, gave to excaping slaves, a part that I feel is often forgotten in the tales. Not a few abolitionists died in helping, some in horrid ways.

It is definitively a book I suggest to anybody who is interested in history of the US, but also to people who want an interesting tale of a not-long ago past. The anthology format is particularly useful for a casual reading as it allows to read story-by-story.

4 stars and all deserved.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a honest rewiev.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slave Narratives of the Underground Railroad is definitely worth a read for those who want to know about the underground railroad history. I cannot imagine what slaves had to go through as slaves. I admire their courage and bravery to survive and their fight for freedom. I also admire those who help them gain their freedom. I enjoy the compiled stories from former slaves in this book. There are stories from several refugees, including Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas and other former slaves that were not as famous. The stories were so captivating to me. I can't believe people had to live this way not so long ago in US history. I found the book interesting and I must-read. Five stars.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a compilation of several personal stories from runaway slaves on the infamous Underground Railroad. The stories range from well-known African American's such as: Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, to several harrowing stories from ordinary African Americans who risked life and death to gain their freedom. The stories are gripping and many keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next! Some stories I had heard before, but some of them I read for the first time. Great read!

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given To Me For An Honest Review


This book is about the slaves who were fortunate enough to be able to use the Underground Railroad. It tells their story whether it be good or bad. If you like history this is for you. It will make you think of not long ago what happened in our country. It is a great read and I highly recommend it to all.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "Must" for Seekers of the complete history of the U.S.

I wish I could give this book more stars! The narratives gave me a glimpse into the extreme courage and desire for Liberty of each person presented. As an African-American, I am proud to read these first-hand accounts of such brave men and women.

[Patty Korzeniewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about the perils of American slaves and the lengths some would go through for their freedom. The first-person narratives were easy to read and very humanizing to this dark era in America's history.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, and I'm not a big history buff. This was an eye-opener. I found myself worried and scared with the slaves. This will make you have an even deeper respect for those who went through slavery and all they endured.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.

[Barefoot Danger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often harrowing, occasionally darkly humorous, but required reading for anyone who wants to know what things were really like during the mid-19th century for slaves.

[F. Glenn]

Very informative. This was research.