For my part of the research project, I discussed three stories of slaves that courageously escaped from their owners to the North via the Underground Railroad in Ohio. As you guys might remember, my stories were about a mother that faced serious legal troubles, a couple that escaped under a disguise, and a man that escaped with the help of William Still and became an important religious figure and scholar. I was really interested by the stories of these former slaves and their journey to freedom, so I found a few more that I would like to share with you guys.
One former slave, Henry Brown, decided to escape his plantation in 1848 when his wife and children were sold to another state. Out of desperation, he chose to hide in a wooden crate until he arrived at the home of an abolitionist. He lived in the crate with only a few pieces of bread and water while traveling in a wagon, on a steamboat, and on a railroad. For an hour and a half in the steamboat, he was placed upside down and nearly died. After an extremely long and dangerous journey, Brown eventually successfully landed in a free state. Later, Brown spent years in Great Britain and worked as a magician, performing with the same crate he escaped in.
Another amazing story is that of Harriet Jacobs. Jacobs was brutally abused by her plantation owner, and after she gave birth to her two children by another man, she was determined to leave. She eventually escaped in 1835 and was forced to live in a small attic inside her grandmother's house in the North. She lived in the attic, which was 9 ft x 7 ft and shorter than 3 ft high, for nine years. Barely any light or air entered the room. She spent the years watching her children through a very small peephole and only leaving the room at night for brief exercise. She later was able to reach New York and Boston and bought her freedom a few years later.
There's plenty of other stories, and I encourage you guys to take a look at them. These personal accounts provide perspective on slavery and escape.
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These slave escape stories are amazing. For Henry Brown to risk and succeed in escaping after the only people (wife and children) he cared about were taken from him is heartbreaking and courageous. And for Harriet Jacobs to have lived the way she did for 9 years and to have endured that abuse is horrible. I'm so glad they both find freedom down the line.
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