March 2015 Volume 10, Number 53

March 2015 Volume 10, number 53

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREE PRESS® Independent reporting on today’s Underground Railroad

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With My Brother's Keeper, Bryan Prince Turns Out Another Eye-opener In This Issue Award-winning Canadian author Bryan Prince has turned out another in his growing series of Underground Railroad books, this one perhaps his best yet. His recently released My Canadian author Bryan Prince tells of Brother's Keeper: African Canadians and freedom seekers who made it to Can- the American Civil War is a history of ada, then went back to fight for the Union in the Civil War. American Underground Railroad 1 freedom seekers who had reached safety in Canada before the Civil War Nominate someone or an organiza- going back across the border and tion for a 2015 Free Press Prize. Visit helping the Union to fight the war. Prizes at our website for more. 1 Through the stories of individuals, My Brother's Keeper portrays shared experiences of many former slaves Who are you, "Hope Winters"? We are looking for a mystery contributor leaving their freedom to take part in America as lecturers, and were recip- with a touching story. the Civil War. Prince's research un- ients of the 2011 Hortense Simmons covered 1,100 blacks who came to Prize for Advancement of Knowledge 2 Canada, then returned to serve in the awarded by Underground Railroad Free war. Said Prince, “I wanted to know Press. Three are granted pardons, but 171 about every single one of them.” Bryan Prince is a descendent of Un- years late.

It strikes him as incredible how peo- derground Railroad freedom seekers. ple who found freedom and started a Shannon Prince is Curator of the Bux- 2 new life in Canada life risked it all to ton Museum and National Historic go back and fight. “It just shows how Site. The couple lives near North Bux- Opportunities: List an organization or deeply slavery was engrained in their ton, Ontario. event, search the Free Press archives, being, and their desire to do some- submit an article or ad, read our an- He sits on the board of the museum, thing against it. It meant so much to nual survey reports, and more. and has served as consulting editor 3 them to go back and be a part of erad- with England’s Adam Matthew Pub- icating what they had come from.” lications Project on Slavery, Abolition Three authors publish two closely re- Bryan Prince is among North Ameri- and Social Justice, and as member of lated books at the same time. One of ca's foremost researchers and authors the Ontario Bicentenary Commemo- our reviewers looks into it. on the Underground Railroad, slav- rative Committee on Abolition of the ery and abolition. His previous books Slave Trade, the International Under- 3 include One More River to Cross, A ground Railroad Heritage Program, Shadow on the Household, and I Came as Ontario’s Underground Railroad a Stranger. Prince and his wife Shan- Sites Program, and York University’s non are in demand throughout North Harriet Tubman Institute . Honor a Person or an Organization With a 2015 Free Press Prize Since 2008, Underground Railroad Free Press has awarded annual terest, legislation and financial support may also be considered. prizes for contemporary Underground Railroad leadership, Individuals and organizations from any country are eligible for preservation and advancement of knowledge, the top honors in nomination. Nominating is easy. Just download a nomination the international Underground Railroad community. form from our website, complete it, and email it to us at Pub- Past winners have been honored for discovering or preserving [email protected]. The 2015 nomination deadline is June Underground Railroad sites and artifacts, founding or leading 30. Visit urrfreepress.com/#prizes for more information and to organizations, writing books, performing research, and Under- view past winners. ground Railroad promotion. Artistic accomplishment, official in- 123

Underground Railroad Free Press 2 "Hope Winters," Are You Out There? An Appeal from Free Press Publisher Peter H. Michael In the 2014 survey of the international Un- poses thirty years of growing United States derground Railroad community, Free Press economic disparity and how the ultra-rich departed for a year from our standard format and largest corporations caused it by pur- by polling on economic disparity, currently a chasing legislation through "campaign con- hot topic in the United States. As with all Free tributions." In the book, I've called this sur- Press surveys, the 2014 survey was anony- vey-taker "Hope Winters," (as opposed to mous with no way to identify respondents. Hope Springs.) Readers can view results at our website. "Hope," so moving was your plight and ex- Near the end of the survey we asked, "Please pression that I'd very much like to know how feel free to provide any comments that you you are doing now. At 537 words, yours was would like to offer." Among the many sur- by far the longest response. It truly stood out. vey-takers who responded to this question, You ended with, "I don't know the answer. one in particular stood out with a heart-felt How I wish I did. I can't go on much longer description of her deteriorated economic sit- like this. My one saving grace is that I paid uation. off the mortgage before all of this happened." This eloquent statement from an unknown If you would like to remain anonymous, became a key first-person example cited in that's fine, and that is what you were prom- my forthcoming book, Running on Empty: ised. If you would like to provide an update, Along an Epic 12,000-Mile Road Trip America you may do so anonymously or by name by Has Its Say on Economic Inequality which ex- emailing me at [email protected]. Coming in Spring 2015 Thank you. Illinois Governor Pardons Three 1800s Abolitionists In part, this article is based on report- fact on the right side of history. Here ing by the St. Louis Post Dispatch (De- were people who in the ultimate cember 31, 2015) and the Galesburg, schemes were committed to doing the Illinois Register-Mail (January 5, 2015). right thing no matter what the cir- th cumstances were. It’s important for 100 Anniversary As his term was coming to an end us to remember even in this day and last New Year's Eve, outgoing Illinois age that there’s more slavery in the Governor Pat Quinn pardoned post- world than at any time, as the popu- humously three Illinoisans who had lation has expanded." been Underground Railroad safe- house operators and abolitionists in Taking notice of the pardons, Sean the 1800s. Tenner, cofounder of the Abolition In- stitute, a Chicago-based nonprofit or- Getting the pardon requests in front ganization which works to fight mod- of the governor came about through ern-day slavery, observed that, "Hon- the work of Free Press Prize Judge oring these abolitionists is the right Owen Muelder and Illinois Lieutenant thing to do for their families and is Governor Sheila Simon filing petitions helping to energize a new generation on behalf of the three pardoned: fa- of Illinoisans to honor their legacy by ther and son Julius and Samuel Dr. Richard Eells fighting against human trafficking Willard of Jacksonville, Illinois, and and modern-day slavery." Dr. Richard Eells of Quincy. In 1843, Muelder was particularly instrumen- all three were caught harboring free- tal in the Eells pardon because of a Well Worth a Look dom seekers and convicted. Eells was connection between the two men. fined $400. Illinois had abolished Muelder heads the Galesburg Colony Visit Medium.com to view or down- slavery in 1824 but in 1843 federal Underground Railroad Freedom Sta- load White House photographer Pete law still prohibited assisting freedom tion at Knox College; Eells was aided Souza's photographs of the historic seekers in all states. in his flight from Quincy to Chicago 50th anniversary march across the Pet- by Knox College trustee, the Rev. tus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on Said Governor Quinn, "These early Samuel G. Wright. A few years ago, March 7, 2015 warriors for freedom put everything Eells' Quincy home was declared a on the line to help their fellow man, national Underground Railroad his- In your browser's address bar enter and their civil disobedience paved the toric site. https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse way for civil rights. Clearing their /behind-the-lens-selma-50-years- criminal records 171 years later In praising Governor Quinn for par- later-68bf9a3a70, or at medium.com, shows how far we have come, but doning Eells and the Willards, Muel- click the search icon, then enter Be- reminds us all that we should fight der observed, “It’s an effort on their hind the Lens. injustice wherever we find it." part to pardon people who were in 123

Underground Railroad Free Press 3 Two Important New Books on the Underground Railroad in New York City Complement One Another ing the subject. Foner, in his introduction,

praises the fact that, “… the Underground Railroad has enjoyed a resurgence as a focus of public history.” He expertly tells the Un- derground Railroad story and reveals the ex- tent to which its operation must be under- stood through its relationship to the broader

Please see Books, page 4, column 1

things you can do at Free Press

Click on links at urrFreePress.com to do any of the following. Subscribe View or Add to Datebook Send News, Letters, Articles or Ads Join the Community or View Lynx Reviewed by Owen Muelder focused on specific states or regions within states throughout the North. Make a Free Press Prize Nomination Because helping escaping slaves was il- Additionally, the publication of Fergus Rate an Underground Railroad Site legal, the vast majority of those who act- Bordewich’s Bound for Canaan: The Un- ed as part of the Underground Railroad List an Underground Railroad Site derground Railroad and the War for the movement did so in secret or in the Read Underground Railroad Surveys Soul of America (HarperCollins, 2005) shadows. It was dangerous to record gave readers the best single volume ever this activity for to do so could leave op- written about the Underground Rail- erators vulnerable to fines, arrest, and road throughout most of the nation. harassment. Generations of historians Bordewich’s scholarship brought to have been reluctant to examine Under- light long buried information, new ground Railroad history because finding analysis, and valuable insight regarding ® hard evidence regarding the topic has Underground Railroad Free Press the movement’s impact on politics, reli- Independent Reporting on been difficult to uncover. There were, gion, and the nation’s conscience. Today’s Underground Railroad fortunately, some excellent first-hand accounts written before the Civil War, Peter H. Michael, Publisher Two recent books address the Under- [email protected] but more stories were recalled after the ground Railroad saga, emphasizing its 301 | 874 | 0235 war ended. Many of these reminiscences workings throughout the eastern United were embellished, inflated, nostalgically States especially concentrating on its Underground Railroad Free Press is a free newsletter published by Underground Railroad Free Press, 2455 recalled, or simply not true. In addition, operation in New York City. I highly Ballenger Creek Pike, Adamstown, Maryland, 21710. the majority of fugitive slaves directly recommend Eric Foner’s Gateway to Back issues are available free at our website. Free involved were illiterate, so their stories Freedom: The Hidden History of the Under- Press is distributed by email. Send email address were usually reported second or third changes and new subscriber email addresses to pub- ground Railroad (W. W. Norton & Com- [email protected]. hand making many of them difficult to pany, 2015) and Don Papson and Tom We welcome news articles and letters to the editor. confirm. But, a renewed interest about Calarco’s Secret Lives of the Underground All rights to submissions including emails and letters the Underground Railroad on the part Railroad in New York City: Sydney Howard will be treated as unconditionally assigned to Free of professional historians, museum di- Gay, Louis Napoleon and the Record of Fu- Press for publication and copyright purposes, and subject to our unrestricted right to edit and comment rectors, preservationists, independent gitives (McFarland, 2015). Each book editorially unless otherwise agreed with authors. scholars, and the National Park Service represents an outstanding contribution Free Press accepts tasteful nonpolitical advertising has occurred over the last 25 to 30 years. to our understanding of this clandestine which we reserve the right to reject for any reason This has taken place primarily due to system. which in our sole judgment is not acceptable. Submit the discovery of accurate data, first- advertising in pdf, jpg or text formats. Visit our website for rates and layout specifications. hand records, diaries, and other corre- Eric Foner is one of our most respected historians. The fact that this Pulitzer Contents of any Free Press issue are protected by spondence. New biographies about Un- copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in derground Railroad “carriers” and Prize-winning author has addressed the part for any reason without prior approval of the books and articles detailing their in- Underground Railroad underscores the publisher. Underground Railroad Free Press is a regis- volvement have been published. There legitimacy of the topic which is most tered trademark. have also been first-rate Underground welcome to scores of historians who Railroad books recently released that are have studied or are currently research- 465

Underground Railroad Free Press 4

Books cludes useful charts and maps and he gles, Samuel Ringgold Ward, Henry

Abolitionist Movement. The establish- skillfully weaves into his text Gay’s re- Highland Garnet, Jermain W. Loguen ment of the American Anti-Slavery So- markably recorded revelations. In addi- and others, including the better known ciety, the crisis that occurred when that tion, Foner extends his analysis to ex- Harriet Tubman and Frederick organization split apart, and the Anti- plain the ways in which the Under- Douglass. An outstanding appendix Slavery crusades’ drift into a political ground Railroad was an “interregional gives the reader the opportunity to read direction in the 1840s and '50s are ex- enterprise” connected to other key “sta- in chronological order when, where, pertly covered. Most important is his tions” in the Northeast. He devotes par- how, and to whom fugitives were sent. description of the significance of vigi- ticular attention to the way the New In some instances, this chart was put to- lance committees established by blacks York City operation worked in concert gether by using New York City news- in northern cities. These committees with Philadelphia’s Underground Rail- papers to pinpoint the arrival of ships raised money, demanded that legisla- road led by William Still. We learn that captained by men who had a history of tors address the second-class citizenship Still’s Philadelphia records combined transporting escapees and matching this of African Americans, and blocked the with Gay’s New York City notes are “a information with Gay’s notations. Any return to slavery of both fugitive slaves treasure trove of riveting stories and a student of the Underground Railroad and kidnapped free blacks. Vigilance repository of insights into both slavery will welcome the opportunity to pour committees cooperated with white abo- and the Underground Railroad.” Gay’s over this appendix. stories reveal the various ways slaves litionists and Underground Railroad The most telling message that emerges fled—by foot, carriage, sailboat, horse- operatives in these urban centers in or- from both books is the reminder that fu- back, railroad cars, and hidden on der to hide escaped slaves and to help gitive slaves demonstrated incredible coastal vessels. Some travelled alone, usher them northward to Canada. The courage when they fled. If a freedom many in twos and threes, but others fled first such vigilance committee created seeker was captured, the consequences in larger groups. was in New York City in 1835. usually fulfilled their worst nightmare. By the middle of the nineteenth century, Don Papson and Tom Calarco are Un- Finally, the reader of these books, and Southerners had become so outraged derground Railroad researchers, each of any book about the Underground Rail- about the aid given to slaves who had whom is a past recipient of an Under- road for that matter, must remember absconded, that they insisted on includ- ground Railroad Free Press Prize. Their that countless fugitives made their way ing in the Compromise of 1850 a strong- new book, like Foner’s, lays out the Un- to freedom without receiving help from er Fugitive Slave Law that required fed- derground Railroad story throughout anyone along the way. Untold numbers eral judicial authorities in all states and the East. This work is organized as a of men, women, and children who bolt- territories to assist with the return of es- documentary history and therein we ed from the South in order to escape capees. It also required ordinary citizens find one of the major differences be- slavery did so by means of their own to help capture freedom seekers. North- tween the two books. Papson and Calar- wit, guile, and unyielding determination ern reaction to the act greatly aggravat- co meticulously present information even if it meant doing so alone. that requires one to become familiar ed tension between the North and South Inevitably, mistakes and omissions are with numerous pieces of correspond- and helped to redouble Underground found in each book. Foner incorrectly ence, sources, and accounts that are of- Railroad efforts. In New York City. maintains that the American Anti- ten quoted at length. They aptly use However, politicians, powerful elites, Slavery Society, in 1836, “launched a Sydney Howard Gay’s records and and unscrupulous thugs looking to massive campaign of printing and dis- notes to show New York City’s connec- make money cooperated with Southern- tributing Anti-Slavery materials.” In tions to a wide-ranging network from ers to help catch fugitives because of fact, by 1835, leaders of the Society felt eastern southern slave states into Penn- close economic ties with the Cotton that its literature campaign was unsuc- sylvania, New York and New England. Kingdom. New York City was the bro- cessful, so, in 1836, they reduced their They discuss the overlapping relation- ker of cotton to ports abroad. Conse- publication spending in order to fund ship of black and white agents, but also quently, it was especially important for and hire more agents to lecture and or- present, as does Foner, a vivid account Underground Railroad operators there ganize state and local auxiliaries. Unfor- of the squabbling and infighting among to be vigilant about keeping their activi- tunately, Papson and Calarco make no various anti-slavery groups, particularly ties unknown. Accounts of the Under- reference to either the Society’s publica- the loathing that existed between Wil- ground Railroad in New York City in tion campaign or the remarkable effec- liam L. Garrison’s Boston abolitionist the early 1850s, according to Foner, are tiveness of that organization’s agents, band and Lewis Tappan’s New York “virtually non-existent.” But, he discov- many of whom were trained by Theo- City cohorts. (Both books disclose, how- ered descriptions of its operation in the dore Dwight Weld in New York City it- ever, that these differences were put city that were recorded by abolitionist self in the mid 1830s. But these are mi- aside when it was required to aid escap- Sydney Howard Gay, editor of the Na- nor objections, for each book is a block- ing slaves.) This book’s description of tional Anti-Slavery Standard. The incredi- buster and should be added to the li- Gay’s relationship with Louis Napoleon ble detail, put down by Howard, of how brary bookshelves of important publica- is often quite moving and leaves no this clandestine business worked in the tions about the Underground Railroad doubt about the central role this black mid-1850s is one of the most significant story. finds about the Underground Railroad agent played ushering fugitives out of ever uncovered. Included are the previ- the city towards safety. The authors il- Owen Muelder, recipient of the 2014 Free ously unknown efforts of black “agent” luminate the crucial part played by a Press Prize for Preservation, is Director of Louis Napoleon who worked as Gay’s number of militant black abolitionists the Galesburg Colony Underground Rail- right-hand man. In his book, Foner in- and “station masters” like David Rug- road Freedom Center at Knox College.