In 1848 William and Ellen Craft made one of the most daring and remarkable escapes in the history of slavery in America. With fair-skinned Ellen in the guise of a white male planter and William posing as her servant, the Crafts traveled by rail and ship--in plain sight and relative luxury--from bondage in Macon, Georgia, to freedom first in Philadelphia, then Boston, and ultimately England. This edition of their thrilling story is newly typeset from the original 1860 text. Eleven annotated supplementary readings, drawn from a variety of contemporary sources, help to place the Crafts’ story within the complex cultural currents of transatlantic abolitionism.

Ellen and William Craft were two of the few slaves to ever escape from the Deep South. Their first escape took them to Philadelphia, then on to Boston pursued by slave hunters, and finally 5000 miles across the ocean to England, where they were able to settle peacefully.

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is an anthology that captures the harrowing experiences of escape from bondage, embodying a significant period in America's history. The collection brings together varied literary styles, from personal narratives to analytical essays, to portray the complexity of the escape from slavery. Its significance lies not only in the recounting of personal experiences of unfathomable courage but also in its exploration of the broader socio-political landscapes of the time. The works within act as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity, highlighted by the harrowing yet inspiring journey of the editors themselves, Ellen and William Craft. Ellen and William Craft, both of whom lived the terrors and triumphs narrated within these pages, bring a raw authenticity to the collection. Their stories, rooted in the darkest times of American history, reflect themes of freedom, resistance, and the indefatigable quest for liberation. The anthology resonates with the cultural and literary movements of abolitionism, contributing a crucial perspective to the understanding of this turbulent era in American history. The Crafts' backgrounds as escapees add an unparalleled depth to the narration, enriching the anthology with personal insights and a palpable sense of urgency. This collection is recommended not only for its historical and educational value but also for the unique narrative it presents through the combination of personal experience and scholarly analysis. It offers readers an intimate look at the trials and triumphs of those who fled slavery, highlighting the diversity of experiences and the singular determination that defined their journeys. For anyone interested in the complexities of American history, the dynamics of personal and collective freedom, and the power of storytelling, Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is an indispensable read, promising to enlighten, inspire, and provoke deep reflection on the past and its implications for the present and future.

In this groundbreaking compilation of first-person accounts of the runaway slave phenomenon, editors Devon Carbado and Donald Weise have recovered twelve narratives spanning eight decades—more than half of which have been long out of print. Told in the voices of the runaway slaves themselves, these narratives reveal the extraordinary and often innovative ways that these men and women sought freedom and demanded citizenship.

Examines the impact fugitive slaves had on the Fugitive Slave Law and the coming of the American Civil War.

The ten works collected in this volume demonstrate how a diverse group of writers challenged the conscience of a nation and laid the foundations of the African American literary tradition by expressing their in anger, pain, sorrow, and courage. Included in the volume: Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw; Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano; The Confessions of Nat Turner; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; Narrative of William W. Brown; Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb; Narrative of Sojouner Truth; Ellen and William Craft's Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom; Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of J. D.Green. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Born into slavery in Hampton County, Virginia, orphaned soon thereafter, and raised for almost two years among Native Americans, the charismatic Rev. Peter Thomas Stanford (c. 1860–May 20, 1909) rose from humble and challenging beginnings to emerge as an inventive and passionate activist and educator who championed social justice. During the post- Reconstruction era and early twentieth century, Stanford traversed the United States, Canada, and England advocating for the rights of African Americans, including access to educational opportunities; attainment of the full rights and privileges of citizenship; protections from racial violence, social stereotyping, and a predatory legal system; and recognition of the artistic contributions that have shaped national culture and earned global renown. His imprint on working-class urban residents, Afro-Canadian settlements, and African American communities survives in the institutions he led and the works that presented his imaginative, literate, ardent, and often comic voice. With a reflection by Highgate Baptist Church’s former pastor, Rev. Dr. Paul Walker, this collection highlights Stanford’s writings: sermons, lectures, newspaper columns, entertainments, and memoirs. Editors Barbara McCaskill and Sidonia Serafini annotate his life and work throughout the volume, placing him within the context of his peers as a writer and editor. As an American expatriate, Stanford was seminal in redirecting antislavery activism into an international antilynching movement and a global campaign to dismantle slavery and slave trading. This book squarely inserts this influential thinker and activist in the African American literary canon.