The Underground Railroad

Author Bonnie Bader
Illustrator Kelley McMorris
Originally Published © 2018 American Girl
ISBN 9781338148923
 

Not Really a Railroad

Thousands of slaves took the risk of escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad. Each one has their own story. A slave named Josiah Henson escaped from Maryland to Canada with his family in 1830. Although his wife was terrified of being caught and punished, he kept pushing her to risk escaping. At last, she agreed. On a moonless September night, Josiah, his wife, and their four children boarded a small boat to cross a river.

For weeks, Josiah and his family walked miles and miles at night. Whenever they heard any sounds, they’d hide. Even after their food was gone, they’d keep walking. Josiah would knock on doors asking for food, and the answer was always “No.” Josiah’s family kept on hiking through the forests, over fallen logs, down ravines, and across streams.

Once, a kind person gave them a ride in a wagon. Another gave them passage on a boat. Soon, they reached Canada. They were finally free. But Josiah continued to travel the Underground Railroad, helping approximately 200 other slaves get to freedom.

The Underground Railroad wasn’t really underground. And it wasn’t really a railroad. It was a series of routes and hiding places that slaves took to find freedom. No one knows exactly where the name started. Some say that when a slave named Tice Davids escaped from Kentucky, his owner said he “must’ve gone off on an underground railroad.” Another story says Pennsylvania slave hunters came up with the name.

Slaves desperately sought freedom and were willing to risk everything to get it. Some walked hundreds of miles, and others traveled by boat, train, or wagon. Most traveled at night so they wouldn’t be seen. The road to freedom was dangerous. If they were caught, they’d be sent back to their masters to be punished. And the punishments were horrible. But to many, it was worth the risk if there was even a chance of freedom.

 

Addy’s Story

The night is hot, and Addy Walker is sweating in bed. She doesn’t move, for fear she’ll wake up her brother, Sam, and sister, Esther, asleep next to her. She can hear Momma and Poppa whispering nearby. Addy pretends she’s asleep so she can eavesdrop.

Poppa is telling Momma that it’s time for them to run away from Master Stevens’ plantation. Momma doesn’t want to go. Poppa mentions Uncle Solomon told him about a railroad track ten miles up the road. And if they keep following that, they’ll find where it crosses more tracks. And there, there’s a house with red shutters that’s a safe house.

Addy listens, frightened. She has never seen a train, but she wants to. She’s scared, but she’s also ready for her family to be free.

 

Slavery in America

The first slaves in America were brought from Africa in 1619. The Africans were kidnapped from their homes and brought against their will to Virginia. In Virginia, were forced to work for no pay, and they were oftentimes beaten and starved. They had no rights.

Over the next few decades, more Africans continued to arrive at the colonies, and by 1641, they were officially called slaves.

The slaves were brought across the Atlantic Ocean on a journey called the Middle Passage. The trip could take four to twelve weeks. Sometimes, the slaves had a little space to breathe and sleep, but other times, they’d be packed like sardines. The slaves had chains around their ankles, and they used buckets as bathrooms. Many slaves caught diseases, such as smallpox, on the dirty ships, and there wasn’t a lot of food to eat. Some slaves tried to jump overboard or starve themselves. To them, slavery was a fate worse than death.

When the slaves arrived in the colonies, they were brought to auctions. White people would inspect, poke, prod, and pinch them, before deciding how much they’d be willing to pay for them. They were treated like animals, not humans.

Most slaves in the South worked on plantations. They would plant, till, and pick the crops, such as cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane. They began at sunrise and did not finish until after sunset. There was very little food and water. Overseers watched over the slaves with whips, and they’d punish any slave they felt was lazy. Both men and women were forced to work. Pregnant women, too. And after giving birth, the women would strap their baby on their back and keep working.

Field slaves lived in small cabins with dirt floors. They were given rough blankets and maybe some straw to sleep on. Slave children didn’t go to school, and most never learned to read or write. Slaves caught trying to educate themselves or children were whipped or beaten—even the children.

Slave owners lived in big, fancy houses. House slaves had slightly better lives. They cooked, clean, serve food, or perform childcare for the master’s children. They sewed and gardened. They lived inside the house, perhaps in a closet or small room, away from their families.

Because slave owners could sell their slaves any time they wanted, owners oftentimes split apart families and sold them to far-off plantations. A strong slave, or a good cook or housekeeper, could fetch a fair price. About one out of every five slaves sold was a child under ten, who’d be sold without their parents. Once separated, most families would never be reunited again.

There were also slaves in cities and towns. The slaves worked in shops and businesses. At one point, there were slaves in every part of America. In fact, twelve past United States presidents owned slaves.

By 1804, slavery was outlawed in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In 1808, it became illegal to bring in new slaves from other countries. But slavery itself was still legal. And any child born to slaves was also a slave, so the population of slaves continued to grow. Their only hope for a better life was to escape.

 

Plantation Life

On Master Stevens’ plantation, the slaves always wake up at dawn. Addy goes out to the field with the other children to worm the tobacco. They have to peel the big green worms off the leaves so they can’t eat the plants. But today, Addy isn’t paying a lot of attention.

The overseer comes over to Addy, whip in hand. Addy squeezes her eyes shut so she can’t see the whip being pulled back, with its hot tail about to rip into her skin.

But instead, the overseer grabs her wrists with one hand, and a handful of worms in the other. The worms are alive and wriggling. He stuffs the worms into Addy’s mouth, and demands she eat them and chew them up. They burst in her mouth, and their bitter taste makes her gag. The overseer stands and watches until she swallows the worms. Addy doesn’t even cry. When the overseer rides off, she goes back to work.

 

Abolitionists

The slave population in the United States continued to grow, and by 1861 when the Civil War began, there were around four million slaves. There were nineteen free states, where slavery was illegal, and fifteen slave states, where slavery was legal. The slave states were all in the South, where there were large plantations that needed lots of labor.

Whether slavery should be allowed or not had divided the country for generations, including among the Founding Fathers. There were many arguments among government officials and regular people. People who opposed slavery were called abolitionists. William Lloyd Garrison, a white man, was one of the strongest leaders of the abolitionist movement. He lived in Massachusetts, and grew up poor. He worked his entire life. In 1831, he began publishing a newspaper called The Liberator that called for the end of slavery. Many people didn’t like reading his work, and Garrison received death threats. Georgia even offered a $5,000 reward for his capture. But he persisted. He became a cofounder of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833, and by 1838, it had over 1,350 chapters across the North.

In 1841, twenty-three-year-old Frederick Douglass spoke at an Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He spoke so well, people were surprised to learn he was once a slave. In 1845, he published an autobiography titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. In it, he described the horrors of slavery, and his struggle to become literate. By publishing his novel and admitting he was a slave, he opened himself up to potentially being captured and returned to slavery. At one point, he had to escape to England to avoid capture. But he continued to fight back against slavery.

Many women were also active in the abolitionist movement. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in 1797 as Isabella Baumfree. She was a slave in New York, and she had been sold many times throughout her life. Her last master, John Dumont, promised her slavery, but was lying. At age twenty-nine, she ran away with her daughter. When Isaac and Maria Van Wagenen took her in, her prayers were answered. Eventually, Dumont tracked her down and demanded she hand over her baby. The Wagenen’s paid him $20 for Isabella and her baby, and Dumont went home empty-handed. Later, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and she traveled across America telling people the truth about the evils of slavery.

Helping slaves and speaking out against slavery was risky. But many people took that risk because they refused to give up their belief that all people should be free.

 

Ripped Apart!

Right before the Walkers’ escape to freedom, the worst thing happens. Master Stevens sells Poppa and Sam. He puts Sam in a wagon, chained and shackled. Poppa is on the ground, also chained. Addy clings to Poppa, refusing to let go. Poppa tells Addy that everything is going to be fine, but how can that be true?

Addy holds tighter. She hears the whip crack above her head, sounding like a gunshot. She feels the lash of fire hit her back. She pulls closer to Poppa. Master Stevens threatens to whip Addy again. Poppa urges Addy to let go. Master Stevens pulls Addy back and throws her into Momma’s arms. Momma and Addy are both sobbing so loud crows fly up from the fields. But Poppa’s not crying. He’s put into the wagon with Sam, and the wagon pulls away. Addy fears she’ll never see them again.

Later, Addy confesses to Momma that she hates white people. Momma, with a sigh, says that if Addy fills her heart with hate, there won’t be any room left for love. Poppa and Sam need Addy to fill her heart with love for them, not hate for white people.

 

The Passengers

Slaves often used code words to communicate with each other. A “station” was a safe house for hiding. A station was owned by a “station master.” A “conductor” was someone who would lead the “passengers,” or runaway slaves, from station to station. Slaves would find out about the Underground Railroad in different ways. Sometimes they heard it from a former slave who escaped previously, but has returned to help others get to freedom. Sometimes they heard it from other slaves. Perhaps a blacksmith would pound out a secret code indicating when it was safe to go, or they heard the slaves singing specific songs in the fields. They always had to communicate in secret.

Slaves would choose to run away for different reasons. Sometimes slaves chose to leave because they couldn’t stand life on the plantation anymore. Other times it was when they feared they would be sold or their family would be separated. When they decided to run away, they’d wait until dark. The slaves may try to take some food and water, but if they couldn’t, they’d leave with what they had on their back.

At the beginning, the passengers were almost always men. Women and girls disguised themselves as men and boys because it was dangerous for women and girls to flee on their own.

Runaways would often travel fifteen miles per night. They had no compass or map to guide them, so the runaways used the North Star to guide them in the right direction, or they’d feel for moss on the forest trees, which almost always grows on the North side. There were no written records of the paths runaways used, but somehow they figured out which way to go by word of mouth.

Some slaves escaped South to Florida, since it was not part of the United States until 1845. Some slaves lived with the Seminole Indians, while others joined secret communities in the woods or swamps. Some slaves ran away to Mexico. But most went North to the free states or to Canada. The slaves crossed swamps, rivers, forests, fields, and mountains, all while tired, hungry, and filthy.

A few slaves came up with creative ways to escape. Henry Brown, from Virginia, hired a free black man to build a box for him. The box was only 3 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2.5 feet deep. He drilled a single air hole into the box, and Brown was nailed inside. Then, a white abolitionist named Samuel Alexander Smith took the box to a shipping company, where Brown was shipped by train, steamboat, ferry, and wagon for twenty-seven hours. Eventually, it arrived at the Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From then on, he was known as Henry “Box” Brown. Later, Smith was thrown in jail for assisting slaves escape.

Caroline Quarlls was sixteen years old when she decided to leave Missouri after their mistress cut off her long, dark hair. Because she was light skinned, she boarded a ship headed to Illinois and told them she was going to school. They believed that she was a white person! After docking in Illinois, she continued on to freedom. All the while, her master knew she had escaped and was actively searching for her. Caroline hid in safe houses, farms, and a wooden barrel. She made it through Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan before eventually reaching Canada.

But many slaves that tried to escape did not make it. Some got sick and couldn’t finish. Others gave up. And some were captured. After masters discovered slaves who’d escaped, they’d put out signs and posters, and put out a large reward for the slaves’ recapture. Those who were caught would be taken back to their master and harshly punished. The slaves would often be whipped, beaten, or branded. Some were forced to wear iron collars with bells around their necks. Still, many slaves continued to try to escape again and again, determined to reach freedom.

 

Escape!

The night Momma and Addy escape, they wait until there’s a full moon shining. They run from shadow to shadow, deeper into the woods. Owls screech. Bats swoop. Momma uses Addy’s hand to pull her along.

At one point, Addy sees a bush move ahead, and she screams. Momma grabs Addy roughly and covers Addy’s mouth. Screams put them in danger. They made the difficult decision to leave Esther behind because she could cry and give them away. Addy’s quiet now.

They travel through swamps, water up to their knees, the water dragging their feet through the muck. They crawl through pickle vines. Addy stubs her toe on a rock and falls down. But this time, she does not scream or yelp.

 

Slave Catchers

When slaves escaped, most masters would try to find them. Masters would put out bounties to reward others for the return of the slaves. This encouraged people to become slave catchers. Most slave catchers were poor, white people. When slaves were returned, they were usually flogged or whipped. John Capehart was a policeman from Virginia who was hired to flog slaves. He reckoned he’d flogged as many slaves as they had in the state of Massachusetts.

Slave catchers would hunt everywhere for an escaped slave. They could stop any person of color for questioning. They’d use bloodhounds to trace the slave’s scent. When a bloodhound found the slave, it would bite the slave, and tear their clothes and skin.

Sometimes, slave owners would advertise for their missing slaves. They’d put up posters advertising the reward amount, and a description of the slave or slaves who were missing. They used derogatory phrasing and words to describe the slaves, as if they were animals.

Anthony Burns was a young slave who lived in Richmond, Virginia. His master allowed him to earn a little money by working for others, in exchange for a cut of the pay. Burns learned how to read and write, and he saved up his money. One day, he used his money to purchase a ticket for a ship to Boston. Once arrived, he thought he was a free man. What he didn’t know was that in 1850, a law was passed called the Fugitive Slave Act. This act required all United States citizens to return escaped slaves to their owners—even if they’d been living in a free state for years.

Slave catchers started to hunt down Burns. His master eventually found him in Boston and he was thrown in jail. The people of Boston didn’t like this, and an angry mob stormed the courthouse where Burns was being held. People even offered to buy his freedom, but nothing helped. On June 2, 1854, Burns was convicted of being a fugitive slave and ordered to return to Virginia.

On the day of Burns departure from Massachusetts, a crowd formed outside the courthouse. The U.S. military and local police were called in to clear the streets. Eventually, more than 50,000 people came out to protest. More reinforcements were called, and even a cannon was rolled in. Soldiers swung swords at the crowd, allowing officials to lead Burns out of the courthouse onto a waiting boat. Burns was returned to slavery.

In 1860, Lucy Bagby used the Underground Railroad to escape from West Virginia. She found work as a maid in Ohio, but her former owner found her and had her arrested. Despite a lawyer trying to help her, the court ordered her to return to West Virginia. She was once again a slave.

The Fugitive Slave Act also resulted in many free black men and women being caught and sold into slavery*. For example, Solomon Northup was born in New York in 1808 as a free man. He was married and had three children. One day, some men offered to pay him to play the violin for them. But it was a trick, and they kidnapped him and sold him into slavery in Louisiana. He repeatedly tried to tell them he was a free man, but nobody paid attention. One day, a carpenter, Samuel Bass, came to the plantation and believed him. Bass delivered letters on Northup’s behalf to his friends and family back in New York, and they found a lawyer to help Solomon. On January 4, 1853, after twelve years as a slave, Solomon was finally set free.

Northern cities with large communities of free black people and former slaves were destinations for runaway slaves. White abolitionists formed vigilance committees to keep slave catchers out of their neighborhoods. Although former slaves living in the cities could take comfort in this protection, it was still a very dangerous time.

 

A Close Call

While on their journey to freedom, Addy and Momma come across a light ahead. Addy is sure it’s the next safe house, so she runs ahead. But it’s not the safe house. It’s a small campfire, with several men gathered around it. But it’s too late—a white man has seen her.

The man has on a gray jacket and hat. He’s a Confederate soldier. He is in the army, fighting for the South and slavery. Addy knows he has the power to send her back to Master Stevens. Luckily, Addy is dressed as a boy, and the man believes the disguise. He orders Addy to fetch him some water.

Addy’s eyes dart around the campsite until she spies a water bucket. She brings it to him. When he lays down to go to sleep, Addy lays down, too. When she’s sure he’s asleep, she creeps away to find Momma. Momma wasn’t able to come into the campsite to look for Addy because it would’ve compromised her own safety.

Later, when they are far from the soldier’s camp, Momma tells Addy that she’s proud of her, and that Poppa would be proud of her, too.

 

Conductors

Defying the law, there were many people who helped slaves find freedom. They were known as “conductors.” They’d hide slaves in wagons and boats, and transport them to the next stop. Some conductors led on foot. Some provided clothing, food, or medicine. Some conductors were white, some were black. Some men, and some women. Although some were paid by free family members of slaves to help, others were doing it because they felt it was the right thing to do.

The conductors who worked in the South had particularly dangerous jobs. They risked punishment if it was discovered they were helping slaves escape. Jonathan Walker was a white sea captain who was caught helping slaves escape by boat in Pensacola, Florida. His punishment was being branded with the letters “SS” into his palm, which stood for “Slave Stealer.”

John Fairfield’s family owned slaves in Virginia, and one of John’s best friends was a slave boy named Sam. When the boys were older, they snuck North. John pretended Sam was his personal slave, until they reached Canada where Sam could finally be free. John knew his job wasn’t done. He continued to help other slaves escape, and he became one of the most daring conductors on the Underground Railroad. Sometimes he’d pretend to be a slave buyer, sometimes a slave owner, or a slave catcher. But no matter who he was pretending to be, he’d always carry a gun, and sometimes even give slaves rifles so they could fight for themselves. He helped hundreds of slaves to freedom. Sometimes he was caught and sent to jail, but John broke out of jail several times in order to continue working as a conductor.

John P. Parker was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia. By 1845, he lived as a free man in Ripley, Ohio. Although Ohio was a Northern state, Ripley itself was mostly pro-slavery, and there were many slave catchers around. One day John heard about a group of slaves hiding in the Kentucky woods. John volunteered to go on a rescue mission, and he found the group of ten slaves huddled together in the woods. John led them through the woods, always fearing they’d be caught. Although John begged him not to, one of the men went off on his own searching for water. He was caught down by two white men. The man did not reveal the whereabouts of the rest of the group.

John continued to lead the group to a stream where he had arranged a boat. But the boat wasn’t there yet. John led the group further down until they found a boat, but it wouldn’t fit all of them. The group would have to leave two men behind. Two unmarried men selflessly gave up their spots for the women and families. As the boat rowed, they heard shouting on the shore—the men on the shore had been caught. But John’s fugitives in the boat were safe.

Harriet Tubman was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. She was born into slavery in Maryland in 1820 as Minty. She was forced to sleep on the floor with no mattress or blanket, and was whipped if the baby she was supposed to watch cried. In 1849, she was now known as Harriet, and she married a free black man named John Tubman. Harriet’s master died around this time, and fearing she’d be sold, she urged her husband to escape North with her. He refused, so Harriet set out to escape by herself. Once in Philadelphia, she saved up her money, and returned to the South to rescue her family members and other slaves, too. She continued to return to the South again and again, about nineteen times total.

Not all slaves had conductors to lead them, and it was harder and scarier if a slave was on their own. They could easily get lost, hurt, captured, or die. But most slaves would take any chance they had to find freedom, even if it meant going alone. One resourceful woman in Mississippi left with just a bundle of food and clothing. She made her way through dense swamps and vine-covered thickets. She knew there were alligators and snakes, but facing those was less frightening than facing her master’s whip. She knew bloodhounds were chasing her scent. She’d walk in streams to evade them. But at last, she had nowhere to go. As the dogs came closer and closer, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the last crumbs of her food. She let the dogs sniff her hands. They licked the crumbs and left. The woman continued on her journey, which lasted for several more months. She was helped along the way by conductors until she finally reached freedom in Canada.

 

Journey to Freedom

Addy and Momma don’t have anyone to guide them on their way—they’re alone. But they face each danger together. Now, they come across a river, the water rolling fast. It looks angry. Sam taught Addy how to swim, but Momma doesn’t know how. She’s frightened. Addy is frightened, too, not from the water, but because Momma is frightened. Still, they have no choice but to cross the river.

Addy and Momma grip each other tightly and begin to wade across the river. Addy steps on the slippery rocks on the bottom. When they’re about halfway across, the water gets really fast. It picks up Addy and Momma, and drags them sideways. Momma starts to go down, gagging and spitting water from her mouth and nose. A big gush of water hits them and pushes them under, pulling them away from each other.

Addy takes a huge gulp of air and dives under the water. She can’t see anything. She rises to the surface and calls for Momma, but she doesn’t answer. Addy takes another deep breath and dives below again. When she kicks, she feels something soft—Momma. Momma is stuck under some tree branches. Addy pushes her feet until the branch moves and Momma can get free. They make it back to the surface, and cough their way to the over side of the river. They’re shaking, wet, cold, and tired, but they’re together. And they go on.

 

Station Houses

Station houses were safe places for runaway slaves to stop and rest along their journey. Some station house owners would put lamps in a window or to the attached top of a pole as a sign their house was a safe place. They’d give the slaves food, water, and sometimes a change of clothes. There were different kinds of station houses: barns, attics, cellars, secret rooms in houses, churches, and more.

Quakers Levi and Catharine Coffin owned one of the most famous station houses on the Underground Railroad. Levi remembered seeing a line of slaves being led through a field near his house in North Carolina growing up. He was shocked at how they were treated and separated from their families. So when he learned that he and his wife’s home in Newport, Indiana was where three routes of the Underground Railroad met, he and his wife knew they had to take action. He once said, “Seldom a week passed without receiving passengers by the mysterious road.” It’s estimated that anywhere from two to three thousand slaves stopped by the Coffin house on their way North. They never lost a passenger.

Thomas Garrett was another white abolitionist and Quaker who worked the Underground Railroad. He witnessed his parents hiding runaway slaves in their home when he was a child, before the Underground Railroad was established. As a grown man, he turned his home in Wilmington, Delaware into one of the last stations before escaped slaves could reach freedom in Pennsylvania. It’s believed Thomas helped between two and three thousand people find a safe haven and passage North. People who were pro-slavery hated and feared Thomas. Maryland offered a $10,000 reward for his arrest. Eventually, he was brought to court, where he admitted to helping slaves escape. His punishment was to pay a fine which took all his money. But he continued to help slaves on their way to freedom. When he died in 1871, former slaves drew his casket through the streets of Wilmington, North Carolina, in an open carriage inscribed with the words “Our Moses.”

Many slaves running to freedom were afraid to ask for help. If they knocked on the wrong door, there was a risk the people who answered would turn them into their masters. The reward for returning a slave was more than a family made in a year. So, safe places were spread through word of mouth. Sometimes slaves felt safer to knock on doors of a station house owned by a black person or former slave. But no matter what, there was always a risk.

 

Miss Caroline’s Safe House

Addy and Momma are trudging onward when they see a white house with red shutters up on a hill. That must be the house Poppa told them about, owned by Miss Caroline! But is it truly safe to go there? They don’t know, but they know it’s a risk they must take. Addy goes to knock on the door herself, still disguised by a little boy. When an old white woman the same size as Addy answers the door, she has a frown on her face and looks angry. She demands the boy go away, because she won’t help the Confederate soldiers.

Addy realizes Miss Caroline believes the disguise, and she removes her hat and shakes out her braids. Addy explains she and her Momma are running away to freedom, and Uncle Solomon sent them. Miss Caroline’s anger fades. She ushers them inside and gives them food, hot baths, and fresh clothes. Addy sleeps on a real mattress, not one filled with itchy corn husks. Lying in Momma’s arms, Addy drifts to sleep.

 

Abolished!

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, just one month after Abraham Lincoln took office. Lincoln was firmly against slavery, an issue that ultimately divided the states and helped trigger the war. The war was fought for four years, and was one of the bloodiest wars fought in American history. But throughout the war, the Underground Railroad kept running.

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in Confederate states free. But slavery wasn’t officially abolished until 1865, when the United States Congress approved the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude… shall exist within the United States.” Now, the Underground Railroad was no longer needed.

It’s difficult to say how many slaves used the Underground Railroad. Some say perhaps 10,000. With the help of conductors, station masters, and station houses, slaves found their way to freedom. The passengers and workers on the Underground Railroad were some of America’s first freedom fighters, believing freedom was the right of every human being. Although slavery ended shortly after the Civil War, there are still freedom fighters across America and the whole world today, fighting with the belief that all humans deserve the right to be free.

 

The War Is Over

Addy suddenly jolts awake to hear booms from outside. Poppa (who eventually found his way back to them in Philadelphia) says it’s cannon fire coming from the harbor. Has the war made its way to Philadelphia? But then she hears cheers and whistles. Addy races to the window. Down below, the streets are filled with people. The war must be over!

Momma and Poppa are crying out of joy. They all get dressed quickly and rush downstairs. People are yelling that the North has won the war. People are laughing, crying, hugging, and banging pots and pans. Firecrackers pop around them. It’s like a dream. Banners are waving that say “Lincoln and Liberty! One People, One Country.” Addy’s heart fills with joy. Now, their family can be united again.

Poppa says he’s going to find Sam and Esther and bring them back to Philadelphia. The Walkers will be free, together once again.

Notes From Me

Addy’s chapters in this book are written in the first person, using a distinctive dialect. The book describes this dialect as follows:

Connie Porter, the author of the original American Girl Addy historical fiction series as well as the Addy entries in this book, consulted historical studies, slave narratives, and experts to learn how a young enslaved person from South Carolina may have spoken during the antebellum period or before the Civil War. The language Addy uses is similar to the way many slaves spoke in the 1860s, although it is not exactly the same.

In this summary, I have chosen not to replicate Addy’s dialect. This decision comes from a place of respect: I am not part of the culture the dialect represents, and I have not done the necessary research to portray it with accuracy or integrity. I also wanted to maintain consistency with the other summaries on this site. The original text’s use of dialect is an important part of Addy’s voice and the historical context, and I encourage readers to explore it in the book itself.

*The book mentioned that after the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850, many free Black people were captured and sold into slavery. To clarify, the Fugitive Slave Act did not make it legal to enslave free people. However, it created a legal environment in which it became dangerously easy for anybody to falsely claim that someone was an escaped slave. Under the law, a slave owner or slave catcher merely had to swear under oath that a Black person was a fugitive. The accused individual was not allowed to testify on their own behalf, and a commissioner—appointed to handle such cases—made the final decision. These commissioners were paid $10 if they ruled in favor of the slaveholder (i.e., that the person was a fugitive) and only $5 if they ruled that the person was free. This financial incentive contributed to the wrongful enslavement of many free Black people.

Sources

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