Review: stories of great escapes offer different view of slavery

A review of Lorene Cary's 'Free!'

by Cristina Gutierrez

Free!: Great Escapes from Slavery on the Underground Railroad, by Lorene Cary.  Third World Press/New City Community Press, 2005. 

Slavery is without a doubt one of the most difficult elements of U.S. history to present to students. Its shameful history makes it a delicate topic, and answers do not always come easily.

Students sometimes ask, “How did slaves endure all the abuse?” The answer is likely to be, “They just did.” Unfortunately much of the material available in the classroom still portrays enslaved people as unfortunate victims who suffered in silence while waiting for Abraham Lincoln to free them.

The truth is that many slaves fought for their freedom and in their fights demonstrated awe-inspiring strength and courage. However, what we usually hear about their journeys has been narrowed down to the stories of Harriet Tubman or Frederick Douglass.

Author Lorene Cary decided to highlight some lesser-known stories in her new book Free!: Great Escapes from Slavery on the Underground Railroad. Cary, a Philadelphia native and founder of the North Philadelphia-based arts organization Art Sanctuary, also wrote the acclaimed Underground Railroad novel, The Price of a Child.

Cary gathered records of documented escapes in Philadelphia, most coming from the records of William Still, who was co-chair of the Vigilance Committee of the Pennsylvania Committee for the Abolition of Slavery.

Using Still's sources, Cary has been able to breathe life into dry narratives, and she offers a rare glimpse at some of the many men, women and children who created ingenious and daring plans to reach freedom.

Writing in the book's introduction, Cary explains her approach: “I chose stories with mostly successful endings and not-too-intense passages, a balance of male-female, and a variety of escape strategies that use wit, courage, sheer physical power, will, cunning – and outrageous hope. They allow our 21st-century minds to imagine actively the inner lives of enslaved people – and put ourselves in their places, not with shame, but compassion and respect.”

The 12 stories range from a pregnant woman who mails herself north in a box, to the never-ending odyssey of a man who, after acquiring freedom, is recaptured and once again enslaved.

In the story of Jane Johnson, a mother is faced with a wrenching decision. On the way to New York, she and her master make a stop in Philadelphia. There, the Vigilance Committee arranges her rescue. When the time comes for her to walk away from slavery, she realizes that her decision also determines the fate of her youngest son. This particular story was the source of inspiration for the book The Price of a Child.