Published to coincide with Black History Month and the opening of the new Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, Fleeing for Freedom includes selected narratives from the two most important contemporary chroniclers of the Underground Railroad, Levi Coffin and William Still. Here are firsthand descriptions of the experiences of escaped slaves making their way to freedom in the North and in Canada in the years before the Civil War. George and Willene Hendrick have chosen a broad range of stories to reflect the strategies, tactics, heartbreak, and dangers-for both the slaves and the "conductors"-of the secret network. In their Introduction, they provide basic information about the scope and workings of the Underground Railroad and its impact on slaves, slaveholders, and the Northern abolitionist societies that were so heavily involved. Fleeing for Freedom offers gripping personal accounts of one of the great collaborations between whites and blacks in American history. With 15 black-and-white engravings and line drawings.

About the Author
George and Willene Hendrick are independent scholars and researchers who together have written The Creole Mutiny: A Tale of Revolt Aboard a Slave Ship, and edited Two Slave Rebellions at Sea and several collections of Carl Sandburg's poems, including Poems for the People. George Hendrick, formerly professor of English at the University of Illinois, has also edited To Reach Eternity: The Letters of James Jones. The Hendricks live in Urbana, Illinois.

Reviews
A must for African American history collections, this book provides a compelling glimpse into a noble juncture in the American experience. -- Margaret Flanagan * Booklist *
Their introduction is particularly valuable, offering excellent background for what follows.... This well-edited work makes history accessible. * Library Journal *
The Hendricks' judicious selection of period accounts drawn from classic nineteenth-century texts honors the memory of both the fugitive slaves and their Underground Railroad and Vigilance Committee benefactors. Its colorful, yet balanced portrait of Liberty Line heroism should win the new book a wide readership. -- William L. Van Deburg, author of Modern Black Nationalism and Slavery and Race in American Popular Culture
Coffin's and Still's stories underscore slavery's cruelties, document the heroism of the slaves' black and white allies, and remind us of the resiliency and determination of the human spirit to be free. -- John David Smith, author of Black Judas; co-editor of The Dictionary of Afro-American Slavery
This book offeres insight on the movement's impact on slaves, slaveholders, and the Northern aboltionist societies that were so heavily involved. -- Kiley Clapper * Grand Forks Herald *
The book brings together for the first time...stories from...the two major chroniclers of the Underground Railroad. * University Of Illinois News Bureau *
The editors...reflect the strategies, tactics, heartbreak and dangers for both the slaves and the 'conductors' of the fabled network. * Vicksburg Post *
This book is valuable not only for its contents but also for its introduction and its bibliographical notes. * Kliatt *
Would that we had more books like Fleeing for Freedom...bringing to life...dangers and rewards of the Liberty Line. * The Dallas Morning News *
An excellent introduction to the history of the system that helped between 20,000 and 75,000 slaves. * Virginia Quarterly Review *
Includes several dramatic accounts. -- Don Glynn * Niagara Gazette *
The Hendricks' introduction provides a valuable overview of the UGRR and of the lives of Coffin and Still. -- Timothy Crumrin * Indiana Magazine of History *
Unadorned and straightforward, the tales are impressive in their manner and their message. -- Pat Moore * Kliatt *



Book Information
ISBN 9781566635462
Author Willene Hendrick
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Ivan R Dee, Inc
Publisher Ivan R Dee, Inc
Weight(grams) 313g
Dimensions(mm) 221mm * 141mm * 14mm

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