David Ruggles: A Radical Black Abolitionist and the Underground Railroad in New York City

by Graham Russell Gao Hodges

Hodges, Graham Russell Gao

Genres: History, Biography, African American, Nonfiction, Race, American

266 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

Graham Russell Gao Hodges is the George Dorland Langdon Jr. Professor of History and Africana & Latin American Studies at Colgate University.

Reviews

[Ryan Mishap · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject and the history are far more interesting than the writing style, but I highly recommend this for those interested in the topic despite the reading being a bit of a slog.

Hodges is taking a fresh look at Ruggles in an effort to restore some of the prominence he's lost in previous histories of the abolitionist movement and especially the underground railroad. Illuminating some details of the movement and network for escaping or freed slaves, there's plenty to fascinate here--like how people in New England towns and even New York City would mob slave-catchers and free those held. This type of action, as well as financial, travel, a bed, and educational materials was typical of what Ruggles called "practical abolition." While an advocate of immediately ending slavery and full political rights for blacks, Ruggles also argued as vehemently for practical steps to fight back and aid others as he did against gradual reforms and non-violence.

In addition to being a grocer involved in the Free Food movement (a certifying group that brought in non-slave produced goods from surrounding farms), a book-seller, and an agent for various anti-slavery publications, Ruggles was involved in many groups, churches, and helped form the Committee for Vigilance which was convened specifically to expose slave agents, aid escapees--sometimes by physically confronting the kidnappers--and to help the cause of abolition. Ruggles was also one of the few who advocated full political rights for women and reached out to white feminists of the day (he was rebuffed).

A fiery author with great rhetorical skills, Ruggles was also a noted pamphleteer (the zinester of the 1800's) who printed his own writing.

There's so much more--including becoming a practitioner of hydrotherapy and opening a hospital, curing Sojourner Truth, or how his place was where Frederick Douglass stayed for ten days after escaping bondage--so check it out for some real history.

[Vivek · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Ruggles was a radical Black abolitionist and underground railroad conductor who was active in New York City in the 1830s and 40s. He was a remarkable person, who more people should know about. He was instrumental in the organizing of vigilance committees that opposed the kidnapping of Black people to sell them into slavery. In addition to writing about abolition (which often involved critiquing slavery apologists and defenders), he also raised money for lawyers to prevent kidnapping, and took a personal hand in opposing kidnapping, including arresting sailors operating an enslavement operation.

Ruggles' life and work should absolutely be better known, and I hope that this dry academic text is followed by more accounts that are more engaging and accessible. Maybe Hodges felt limited by the sources he could find, but he gives a lot of attention to Ruggles' writings (and beefs he got into with other people through articles back and forth) and not as much to the more exciting actions that Ruggles took. Some of the author's personal speculations and commentary, infused by his own moralizing, are ill-advised, like when he spends a page condescendingly wondering why Ruggles didn't get married (without considering that he might have been queer), or saying Ruggles "doubtless" lectured Frederick Douglass about not drinking. Hodges also doesn't bother providing important context, like explaining what the Free Soil Party was, or some of the other important political developments that are necessary to have a full appreciation and understanding for what Ruggles accomplished.

Still, for all its shortcomings, I'm glad I read this book. I sought it out as part of Mariame Kaba's currently running every-other-month bookclub about the life of abolitionists, and it raised a lot of issues that I want to further explore. For example, I didn't know about the writ of homine replegiando, a legal mechanism which was used to provide a trial for people who were captured by kidnappers, to establish whether they were actually the person alleged to have escaped from enslavement. If they were found not to be, the slave owner could be on the hook for legal fees and punitive damages. I wasn't aware that so much organizing went into this legal mechanism, and using it to free people captured by kidnappers. I also found it interesting that some abolitionists of this era focused so much energy on attacking and delegitimizing the American Colonization Society, a popular racist movement that sought to drive Black Americans to Africa. And while he didn't spend much time on it, Hodges does raise some issues of class, gender, and racial tensions within the abolitionist movement that affected what tactics were pursued and had popular support.

I don't think I can recommend this book to others, but I am planning to read more books about the abolitionist movement, and hope to find some better works for others interested in this topic.

[Olisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this well researched and documented book, Hodges explores the fascinating life of David Ruggles. Born free, David Ruggles went on to open a grocery and then a bookstore, champion civil rights, write and publish his own works, and boldly fight against slavery. David's bookstore was the first black owned bookshop in America. When faced with decreasing eyesight and eventual blindness, he pivoted to healthcare provider (learned while seeking a cure for his health issues) while still actively fighting against slavery and for equal rights. He died too soon. He should be better known and discussed.

Would have loved some more excerpts of his works and more information about the books sold in his shop.