Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad

Amazon.com

When 77 slaves attempted a daring escape down the Potomac River in a schooner called the Pearl in 1848, the nation's capital--especially the dozens of prominent citizens whose domestic slaves had disappeared--was shaken by the news. In returning to this audacious but largely forgotten episode in Escape on the Pearl, Mary Kay Ricks follows the stories of many of the slaves who made the perilous attempt and in the telling gives a short history of the last decades of American slavery and the country it divided. But most fascinating is her portrait of Washington, D.C., in the years before the Civil War, where North and South came together on territory where slavery was still legal, and where, for the African American residents of the city, the relative freedoms of the North and the terrors of transport to the brutal plantation slavery of the Deep South felt equally close.

Escape on the Pearl is Mary Kay Ricks's first book, after years of research on abolitionism and local D.C. history. For our Grownup School feature she has recommended the 11 books to read on the Underground Railroad, and she also answered a few of our questions about her book:

Questions for Mary Kay Ricks

Mary Kay Ricks Amazon.com: How did you first come across the story of the escape on the Pearl?

Mary Kay Ricks: While researching 19th-century Washington history for a different project, I kept stumbling on references to an escape attempt on a schooner named the Pearl that set off pro-slavery riots in the streets of Washington. The incident went on to spark fierce debate on slavery in Congress--a discussion it always worked hard to avoid. I was a co-founder of Washington, D.C.'s High School Friends of SNCC during the civil rights struggle of the 1960's, so I thought I was well-versed in the struggle for freedom. Yet I had never heard the story of the Pearl, nor had most people I knew. I began researching the escape, and eventually accrued much material, even letters--never analyzed in connection with the story--that described much of the planning of the escape. I had to write this book.

Amazon.com: It was an explosive story at the time. What did the news represent for American society when it broke in 1848?

Ricks: The capture of a schooner attempting to take nearly 80 enslaved Americans to freedom on a schooner represented a breakdown of order and an organized resistance to slavery in the nation's capital that served as a harbinger of the growing conflict that would lead to the Civil War. At the same time, discussions in Congress were becoming increasingly fractious over whether slavery could be extended to the vast swath of new territory that had just come under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government at the conclusion of the Mexican War. Southern politicians clamored to extend slavery into those lands and Northern politicians began to come together for the first time, for a variety of different reasons, to demand that it remain free soil. It was this struggle over whether those new lands would be free, slave, or a mix of each that led directly to the Civil War.

Amazon.com: One striking thing to me about the society you describe was that there wasn't a clean line between slavery and freedom. Families--even married couples--were divided between slave and free, some slaves were working for wages to buy their freedom, and free blacks, especially after the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, were always in danger of being reclaimed into slavery. What did freedom mean for African Americans before the Civil War, and what did they do to achieve it?

Ricks: Freedom, verified by legal papers that free people were required to carry on their persons, meant that you couldn't readily be taken away and sold to a slave trader, that you had some say in where you lived and worked, and that you could possibly work hard enough to raise money to free loved ones who were still enslaved. Purchasing freedom was a project fraught with obstacles. To give an example of just how costly slaves could be, Paul Edmonson, the free father of six children who joined the Pearl escape, owned a 40-acre farm in Maryland that was valued less than any of those children was as a slave. (All 14 Edmonson children were enslaved because their mother was a slave--that was the universal law in slave jurisdictions.) Enslaved African-Americans attempting to purchasing freedom were always at an extreme disadvantage because the arrangement relied on the good faith of an owner. Slave testimonies are filled with accounts of slaves who had paid all but the last few installments on their freedom when the owner changed the terms of the contract or ignored it completely and sold the nearly free person to a trader. And the death of owner could change everything as heirs worked to undo any promises of emancipation. That happened to 11 members of the Bell family who took their chances on the Pearl.

Fear of sale or removal to the Lower South was very real. In a little known American exodus, nearly one million slaves from the Upper South were part of a forced migration to new lands, which often separated them from loved ones who were owned by different people. Slaves often knew the warning signs that their owner was looking to sell, and some were able to find contacts for passage on the Underground Railroad. But it was simply unfeasible for large numbers of slaves, even those in the Upper South, to reach freedom. Money and other resources were extremely limited and escape usually meant splitting up families, the one thing that the enslaved attempted to avoid at all cost. Escape was also terribly risky and could land a fugitive, if captured, in a worse situation in the Deep South. That is what made the Pearl escape all the more extraordinary. And for those who did successfully reach the North, there was no guarantee that they would remain free. When the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed, more than 20,000 fugitives from slavery who had lived in the Northern states for years packed their bags and moved to Canada. Freedom meant leaving your homes and the country you were born in.

Amazon.com: Last year, James Swanson's Manhunt painted a vivid picture of Washington, D.C., at the end of the Civil War as a small town that is hard to recognize from our perspective. Your book could be seen as a prequel to that book in a way, both in its story of how we got to the Civil War and its same close attention to the geography of the capital city. What was the Washington you describe like in the 1840s?

Ricks: Before the Civil War, Washington was a city where the majority of politicians lived in boarding houses and hotels. Neighborhoods had popped up like isolated gopher holes where a few gleaming white-marble buildings rose out of the mud surrounded by small wooden and brick houses on streets rife with loose geese, pigs, and even cows. The Capitol, the U.S. Patent Office (today's newly refurbished Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art), the Executive Mansion, and the Post Office (now a hip downtown hotel) were then and are now spectacularly beautiful buildings. But much of the city, in contrast, looked bleak. Only Pennsylvania Avenue was paved. In 1848, long after New York, Boston, Baltimore, and even Newark had gas lighting, Congress had only just approved the formation of the Washington Gas Light Company. But theatre was popular and so were bowling, billiards, and gambling. Although many described Washington as a backwater with little sophistication, the newspaper advertisements show a surprising range of goods and foods from imported food delicacies, wines, and sherry to piano fortes. Pharmacies were well-stocked with supplies of Swedish leeches. But enormous changes would come with the Civil War. The population in the District of Columbia, about 51,000 in 1850, nearly trebled to over 130,000 by 1870. Many whites who had come to Washington for war jobs decamped the overburdened and rundown city after the war. But the 40,000 African Americans who had fled the Confederacy stayed.

Amazon.com: You share a last name with two of the fugitive slaves on the Pearl (and with some of their descendants)? Was that just a happy coincidence, or have you found a connection between their families and yours? What connections has writing about this story made for you?

Ricks: Two fugitives of the Pearl shared my last name but were not owned by people named Ricks. In fact, not one of the fugitives on board the Pearl shared a surname with an owner. My husband's family arrived in Virginia sometime in the mid-17th century as Quakers and became slave owners. They later became Baptists, probably when the Society of Friends forbade slave-owning. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin includes a copy of a runaway slave advertisement placed by one of my husband's ancestors. It is more likely that the fugitives on the Pearl, both of whom were transported to New Orleans with the Edmonsons, were descended from slaves who been owned at some time by a different branch of the English Ricks family who had come into Maryland many years before.

Interestingly, my family and I now feel very connected to an African-American couple from Maryland named Vernon and Janet Ricks, who are members of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Georgetown, a congregation which was formed in 1816 as the first black church in the District of Columbia and figures prominently in my book. Vernon Ricks, who may well be related to the two men who took a chance for freedom in 1848, and his wife are very active in their church, the NAACP, and many civic organizations. I worked with Vernon and Janet, Mt. Zion, the National Park Service, and a consortium of Georgetown organizations when I wrote and directed an historical recreation of an 1858 escape on the Underground Railroad to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the tobacco port that is now a part of the District of Columbia. Vernon took on the role of Alfred Pope, a member of Mt. Zion and one of the few Pearl fugitives who had not been sold south after capture, and Janet played his wife. Later, my family was invited to a special Sunday at Mt. Zion to honor the Ricks family that had been part of that congregation for several generations. When the Ricks family members in the church were asked to rise, my husband and I, his parents, and our two children rose as well.

Book Description

On the evening of April 15, 1848, seventy-seven slaves attempted one of history's most audacious escapes—and put in motion a furiously fought battle over slavery in America that would consume Congress, the streets of the capital, and the White House itself. Setting sail from Washington, D.C., on a schooner named the Pearl, the fugitives began a daring 225-mile journey to freedom in the North. Mary Kay Ricks's unforgettable chronicle brings to life the Underground Railroad's largest escape attempt, the seemingly immutable politics of slavery, and the individuals who struggled to end it. All the while, Ricks focuses her narrative on the intimate story of two young sisters who were onboard the Pearl, and sets their struggle for liberation against the powerful historical forces that would nearly tear the country apart.

After a terrifyingly calm night, the wind came up as the sun rose the next morning, and the small schooner shot off down the Potomac River. Hours later, stunned owners—including a former first lady, a shipping magnate, a former congressman, a federal marshal, and a Baptist minister—raised the alarm. Authorities quickly formed a posse that chased the fugitives down the river. But with a head start and a robust wind that filled their sails, the Pearl raced ahead—unaware that a violent squall was moving into their path and would halt their bid for freedom.

Escape on the Pearl reveals the incredible odyssey of those who were onboard, including the remarkable lives of fugitives Mary and Emily Edmonson, the two sisters at the heart of the story, who would trade servitude in elite Washington homes for slave pens in three states. Through the efforts of the sisters' father and the northern "conductor" who had helped organize the escape, an abolitionist outcry arose in the North, calling for the two girls to be rescued. Ultimately, Mary and Emily would go on to stand shoulder to shoulder with such abolitionist luminaries as Frederick Douglass and attend Oberlin College under the sponsorship of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

A story of courage and determination, Escape on the Pearl revives one of the most poignant chapters of U.S. history. The Edmonsons, the other fugitives of the Pearl, and those who helped them can now take their rightful place as American heroes.

Customer Reviews:

A well told tale.......2007-09-11

Here is an account of one of the boldest attempts of slaves to free themselves. In April 1848 dozens simultaneously fled from Washington, DC, in a sailing vessel provided by white sympathizers. All were captured, but the well organized attempt startled the public North and South. The author fills out the story with background about slavery in the nation's capital, and traces some of the era's major political developments relevant to human bondage. The book is informative and an easy read.

More Than a Failed Escape.......2007-03-09

This is a gripping tale.

While the book's title highlights the 1848 escape attempt on the Pearl, the contents of the book encompass much, much more. There's the story of a slave family - the Edmonsons - which Ricks follows from before the courageous but unsuccessful flight to freedom all the way into present-day Washington, DC. There's an engrossing overview of abolitionism and its firey, impatient and ultimately triumphant adherents. Ricks presents her readers with a compelling description of the underground railway. Washington is presented as the small southern town that it was then, with illuminating detail. She brings to life the mid-nineteenth century context with its wrangling and maneuvering and unforgettable characters. It was a hell of a time and she gets it.

The small hard kernel of yearning and determination that impelled this particular journey by these particular people inspires us. Here, too, is a great and continuing irony of history: Some human beings are capable of enslaving others; at the same time different human beings strive passionately to free others; still others fight to free themselves.

'Escape on the Pearl' is a terrific read.

Edward Ball loves this book.......2007-02-15

This is a great book. But don't take my word for it - Edward Ball, author of the bestseller Slaves in the Family, says "My kind of Southern history looks at slavery through people, and Mary Kay Ricks puts you on a first-name basis with the remarkable Edmonson family, who went through a mass escape, the near prostitution of two daughters, and a great homecoming. And she's found their descendants, who will tell you all about it." (quoted on the back of Escape on the Pearl).

Splendid Book, Fascinating Research.......2007-02-11

The author's knowledge of her subject is remarkable, her writing is graceful, and her judgments are consistently sound. This book is a great read, an exciting tale framed by a sharp, balanced and sensible portrayal of an era of shame, ferment and change in our history. Ricks's literal knowledge of the streets of which she writes makes this book vibrate with authenticity. I enjoyed it consistently--and learned enormously from reading Escape On The Pearl. Since I write fictional accounts of the period myself under the pen-name Owen Parry, I realize how complex a subject this author has taken on--and I can only say that it's humbling to see another writer do a far-better job than one can ever hope to do. This book deserves wide attention and, as readers, let us hope that Ricks will return to the period for additional books in the future.

discerning insightful look at the abomination of slavery.......2007-02-10

In 1848 some residents of Washington DC owned slaves though many others opposed the "curious institution". In April, conductors on the Underground Railroad try a bold freedom run using the Pearl to take seventy-seven runaway "fugitives" to freedom in the north. However, a terrible storm on the Chesapeake doomed the mission. The sheriff arrested the freedom fighters and took the recaptured slaves back to their owner who sent them to New Orleans for sale. Another twist returns the slaves to DC where Preacher and staunch abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher made efforts to get them freed and his daughter Harriet Beecher Stowe used their plight as part of her reference notes published as the Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin, two years after the classic was released.

This is a complex at times convoluted look back at a major incident of its time that has somewhat lost its significance over the subsequent century and a half. The book gets inside the heads of the slaves, slave sellers, slave owners, the Stowes and the Underground Railroad conductors. However, most fascinating besides the link to Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic is the way the citizens in the metropolitan DC area looked at slavery. Historical readers need to set aside some time because though difficult to follow because of how complex the events leading to, the event itself, and the subsequent aftereffect and outcome are, this is a discerning insightful look at the abomination of slavery.

Harriet Klausner

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad

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Barefoot;Escape on the Under Ground Railroad by Pamela Duncan
Wonderful book to illustrate point of view
Barefoot Through the Pages of History
Barefoot vs. Heavyfoot
Barefoot Helps Young Children Understand Runaway Slaves

Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad
Pamela Duncan Edwards
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064435199

Book Description

In the dark of the night a Barefoot, an escaped slave, flees for his life. With his pursuers close behind and the moon shrouded in clouds, Barefoot must rely on the wisdom of the wild animals of the forest and swamp to guide him to the safety of the underground railroad.
Innovative perspective and use of light and a spare text result in an unforgettable portrayal of one slave's journey to freedom.

"Another outstanding collaboration from the duo responsible for Some Smug Slug."—starred review/School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Barefoot;Escape on the Under Ground Railroad by Pamela Duncan .......2005-09-28

This book is a wonderful story depicting a run away slaves journey through a portion of the Underground Railroad, uniquely from the point of view of the animals who help him. The drawing are wonderful expressions of worry, fright, excitment, and joy. I would advise this book for any child, young or old, and for any classroom.

Wonderful book to illustrate point of view.......2001-08-14

I ordered this book to use as a read aloud with my fifth grade's class study of the Civil War. Little did I know that it would be a valuable tool for teaching point of view. This is a wonderfully suspenseful short of a young slave's escape through the woods on his way to the first stop on the Underground Railroad. What makes this story unique is that it is told from the forest animals' perspective. Well written, well illustrated, and destined to become a classic. Wendy

Barefoot Through the Pages of History.......2001-01-05

As a fifth grade teacher, I am always looking for a book to entice my students and help them to gain background knowledge. This book is a phenomenal find. It puts the reader/listener right into the fear and terror of being a runaway slave from the very first sentence. But, more than that, is the unique way the author has chosen to present the story. I can think of no better book to present the topic of point of view. Not only is the story told from the point of view of the forest animals that the runaway encounters, but the illustrations NEVER alter the affect. Each picture shows the runaway from the eye level/view of the animal that is reacting to his presence. It is a very powerful book.

This story has generated intense discussions as to whether or not they believe the animals consciously helped the barefoot escape the heavy boots, or whether the occurrences were merely coincidental. The students embrace the tone of the book and will often discuss how they originally did not care for the illustrations because they were too dark and made it difficult to see the details, but soon realized that they mimic what the barefoot is seeing -- a potent tool in immersing them in the story.

The students were so enthralled by the way the point of view of the story was presented that they asked to write their own stories based on the point of view of our classroom pet, S'mores the Guinea Pig. Some choose to write from their own pet's point of view. Each and every one of the stories were wonderful to read, and though some may have been lacking in conventions and spelling, EVERY one of them shouted with an author's voice that was astounding.

Barefoot vs. Heavyfoot.......2000-09-15

This beautifully illustrated story of the Underground Railroad is written so even second and third grade students can read it. In spite of the fact they are too young to understand the complex problem of slavery and the Underground Railroad, this is a wonderful introduction to those sensitive issues. At the same time, older elementary students find is very appealing.

From the first page, students will be fascinated by the story and the pictures. As I shared it with students in the school library, they sat in suspense. Who is Barefoot? Where is he going? Why is is running at night? What are the noises he hears? Will the house be safe? How will be know?

I highly recommend that the book be used by an adult who can answer the questions which may arise when the book ends. This is a book which should be on the shelves in every schol library in the country.

Barefoot Helps Young Children Understand Runaway Slaves.......2000-05-02

While I was searching for books to use in a story hour project for my Children's Literature class at Kent State University, my daughter's kindergarten teacher suggested Barefoot. She had used it successfully with her kindergartners during Black History Month. My classmate and I had chosen the Underground Railroad as our theme for our story hour for second graders. They, too, enjoyed this book. I'm a little surprised that some other readers have reviewed it as being appropriate for grades 5 & 6 because the text is so simple. Children in first or second grade could conceivably read it on their own, so I think the publisher's reading age of 4-8 is accurate. However, the topic of slavery is, of course, a sensitive one, one that deserves adult explanation. The author's note on the last page explaining the Underground Railroad and some of the signals of "safe houses" along its route is helpful. The illustrations are quite dark, making the book a little bit difficult to use with as large a group as we had (24 children). Some of them complained that they could not see the pictures. I believe the dark colors combined with the glare from the light fixtures created this problem. We took time to allow the students a closer look at these intricate drawings. The illustrations are complex and would probably best be used in a small group or with an individual child. Many of the children identified with the fireflies in the story and later included fireflies in drawings we asked them to do depicting their feelings about the story hour. I was surprised that the children we spoke to were so knowledgeable about slavery and the idea of runaway slaves escaping to freedom. Our story hour, including Barefoot, served to reinforce these topics as well as to teach them that the Underground Railroad was neither underground nor an actual railroad. Barefoot presents a creative, unique approach to historical fiction. Although it is told in the third person by an omniscient narrator, it allows the reader to experience the fear of "the barefoot" runaway as well as to experience the natural cycle of animal life (day and night), even as humans ("the Barefoot" and the "Heavy Boots" or slavecatchers) disrupt their existence.

Escape from Slavery: Five Journeys to Freedom

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I think that this was an interesting book to read

Escape from Slavery: Five Journeys to Freedom
Doreen Rappaport
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064461696

Book Description

Freedom!

Eliza and her baby, running across the ice. Selena and Cornelia Jackson, masquerading as boys. Henry Box Brown, shipping himself north in a wooden crate. Jane Johnson, risking everything to testify against her former owner in court. Ellen Craft, posing as her husband's owner.

Escaping from slavery against overwhelming odds, these people were helped by courage, ingenuity, and the informal network known as the Underground Railroad. Here are their gripping stories, told by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Charles Lilly, and accompanied by information about slave laws of the era, key Underground Railroad leaders, and a bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

I think that this was an interesting book to read.......2000-07-24

I am a 7th grader who was assigned this book to read as a summer reading project by my future teacher. After reading many different books on the life experiments of slaves durning the Civil War, I found this book interesting. It is about five slaves and how they managed to escape slavery. It show how brave each one of these people were in their own way. It also show how the Underground Railroad worked to help them in their escape of the in human lives that they were living along with the abuse that they suffered. The most interesting person of the five was Eliza, she also was fighting for the freedom of her baby Caroline. I think that the danger of the escape was harder for her because she was more worried about her daughter and what could happen to both of them if they were to get caught.This book kept me interested because it tells of the feeling that each one of the slaves is feeling and how they handle the next travel from one place to another. I liked the reading of the adventures that they had and how in the end they needed to adjust to a new kind of life.

Secret Signs: Escape Through the Underground Railroad

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Secret Signs: Escape Through the Underground Railroad
Anita Riggio
Manufacturer: Boyds Mills Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590780728

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Barefoot...escape on the Underground Railroad
Pamela Duncan Edwards
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0439077192

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The drinking gourd (An I can read book)
F. N Monjo
Manufacturer: Trumpet Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0440841577

Product Description

Runaway slaves are hiding in the barn, and Tommy's father has hidden them there. This is how Tommy learns of the underground railroad. Here is a book that brings American history to life in a suspenseful story of a young boy who helps a slave family escape, to Canada and freedam.

Free!: Great Escapes from Slavery on the Underground Railroad

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Free!: Great Escapes from Slavery on the Underground Railroad
Lorene Cary
Manufacturer: Third World Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883782685

Book Description

Stories based upon actual incidents of Black people escaping from chattel slavery. Lorene Cary adapted these tales from narratives and records that were first told by William Still who was one of the key organizers of the underground railroad. The stories are brought to life by the craft of Ms. Cary.

Escape Betwixt Two Suns: A True Tale of the Underground Railroads in Illinois (Shawnee Books)

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Couldn't Put This One Down !

Escape Betwixt Two Suns: A True Tale of the Underground Railroads in Illinois (Shawnee Books)
Carol Pirtle
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Underground Railroad in Illinois

ASIN: 080932301X

Book Description

Although the northern Illinois chapters of the story of Susan “Sukey” Richardson’s escape from slavery on the Underground Railroad are documented, the part played by southern Illinois in that historic episode has remained obscure. Carol Pirtle changes that with her investigation into the 1843 suit Andrew Borders lodged against William Hayes, charging his neighbor with helping slaves from the Borders estate escape to Galesburg. In conjunction with her probe into the past, Pirtle also discovered the Hayes correspondence.

Pirtle documents Hayes’s involvement in the Illinois Underground Railroad through approximately two hundred letters received by Hayes from the early 1820s until his death in 1849. Many of these letters specifically corroborate his participation in the escape of slaves from the Borders estate. One such letter came from T. A. Jones in 1843: “You Dear Sir are to me an unknown friend, yet I believe you are a friend to the poor down trodden Slave. This is as good an introduction as I want from any man. My brother, our cause is a holy one.” Letters written by Galesburg residents show that several prominent citizens of that community also assisted in the affair, proving that Knox College administrators and trustees were active in the Underground Railroad.

Pirtle also includes excerpts from the trial transcript from the 1844 civil case against Hayes, which was tried in Pinckneyville, Illinois. She researched newspaper accounts of the event, most notably those in the Western Citizen and the Sparta Herald. Records of the Covenanter Presbyterian church of which Hayes was a member provide partial explanations of Hayes’s motives.

Telling the story of Hayes and his involvement with Susan Richardson and the Underground Railroad, Pirtle provides insight into the work of abolitionists in Illinois. Escape Betwixt Two Suns, in fact, is one of the few books to substantiate the legends of the Underground Railroad. She tells the story of a quiet man who made a difference, of a man deserving the accolades of a hero.

Customer Reviews:

Couldn't Put This One Down !.......2000-07-18

With great anticipation, I have awaited the release of this book. Pirtle recounts the true story of Susan "Sukey" Richardson's escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Through letters that had been hidden away for more than a century, Pirtle weaves us in and out of the life of one of Sukey's most sympathetic supporters, William Hayes. Through this non-fiction account we learn of the hardships all Americans faced during the mid-19th century. We're told of Sukey, her master, and those brave men and women who risked their lives, reputations, and personal finances to help others make their way to freedom. Equally fascinating is the courtroom drama between Sukey's master and those who allegedly helped the young woman in her run to freedom.

If you're a US history enthusiast, a fan of Illinois history, an Underground Railroad aficionado, a Civil War buff, or just a casual reader who's interested in a captivating story...you'll be sure to enjoy this tome. I highly recommend it.

Customer Reviews:

Take a Trip With Emma.......2001-05-17

When Emma's class takes a trip to see an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution called "Before Freedom Came," she discovers more about life on the Underground Railroad than she ever had imagined knowing. As Emma walks along the George Washington Carver Nature Trail, she trails behind to make a sketch of her mother's favorite flower. The next thing she knows someone is calling her name, it's nearly dark, and she is on her way to travel the Underground Railroad to Freedom across the Canadian border. Escape! tells of Emma's dangerous, but successful trip on the Underground Railroad. Come along and join Emma for a daydream trip on the Underground Railroad. You won't be sorry you did.

Escape to Freedom : The Underground Railroad Adventures of Callie and William (I Am American) (I Am American) (I Am American)

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Escape to Freedom : The Underground Railroad Adventures of Callie and William (I Am American) (I Am American) (I Am American)
Barbara Brooks-Simon
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0792265513
Release Date: 2004-03-01

Product Description

"Paperback: 40 pages Publisher: National Geographic (March 1, 2004) ISBN: 0792265513 Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.9 x 0.1 inches Ages 9-12 Fiction and nonfiction elements combine (sometimes confusingly) in this look at the Underground Railroa"

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