Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America [Hardcover]

Fergus Bordewich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2005

An important book of epic scope on America's first racially integrated, religiously inspired movement for change

The civil war brought to a climax the country's bitter division. But the beginnings of slavery's denouement can be traced to a courageous band of ordinary Americans, black and white, slave and free, who joined forces to create what would come to be known as the Underground Railroad, a movement that occupies as romantic a place in the nation's imagination as the Lewis and Clark expedition. The true story of the Underground Railroad is much more morally complex and politically divisive than even the myths suggest. Against a backdrop of the country's westward expansion arose a fierce clash of values that was nothing less than a war for the country's soul. Not since the American Revolution had the country engaged in an act of such vast and profound civil disobedience that not only challenged prevailing mores but also subverted federal law.

BOUND FOR CANAAN tells the stories of men and women like David Ruggles, who invented the black underground in New York City; bold Quakers like Isaac Hopper and Levi Coffin, who risked their lives to build the Underground Railroad; and the inimitable Harriet Tubman. Interweaving thrilling personal stories with the politics of slavery and abolition, BOUND FOR CANAAN shows how the Underground Railroad gave birth to this country's first racially integrated, religiously inspired movement for social change.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though the Underground Railroad is one of the touchstones of American collective memory, there's been no comprehensive, accessible history of the secret movement that delivered more than 100,000 runaway slaves to freedom in the Northern states and Canada. Journalist Bordewich (Killing the White Man's Indian) fills this gap with a clear, utterly compelling survey of the Railroad from its earliest days in Revolution-era America through the Civil War and the extension of the vote to African Americans in 1870. Using an impressive array of archival and contemporary sources (letters, autobiographies, tax records and slave narratives, as well as new scholarship), Bordewich reveals the Railroad to be much more complicated--and much more remarkable--than is usually understood. As a progressive movement that integrated people across races and was underwritten by secular political theories but carried out by fervently religious citizens in the midst of a national spiritual awakening, the clandestine network was among the most fascinatingly diverse groups ever to unite behind a common American cause. What makes Bordewich's work transcend the confines of detached social history is his emphasis on the real lives and stories of the Railroad's participants. Religious extremists, left-wing radicals and virulent racists all emerge as fully realized characters, flawed but determined people doing what they believed was right, and every chapter has at least one moment--a detail, a vignette, a description--that will transport readers to the world Bordewich describes. The men and women of this remarkable account will remain with readers for a long time to come. Illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The New Yorker

In the first years of the nineteenth century, most runaway slaves didn't get very far: "Slave holders sought to impress their slaves with a belief in the boundlessness of slave territory," Frederick Douglass wrote, and, given the reach of fugitive slave laws, "the real distance was great enough." Those who did make it almost always had the help of Quakers, free blacks, and other opponents of slavery, who composed what Bordewich calls a "national geography of freedom." This engrossing account of the Underground Railroad describes how scattered "experimental, impulsive" acts (for instance, defending a fugitive from a patrol) became an organized operation involving thousands of stationmasters, conductors, and spies. Some of the less known, and more remarkable, stories here involve the black workers on the Railroad, such as Arnold Gragston, who, while remaining a slave, ferried hundreds of runaways across the Ohio River until 1863, when he became his own last passenger.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Amistad; 1St Edition edition (March 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060524308
• ISBN-13: 978-0060524302
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #716,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars West Virginia (And Kentucky) On My Mind..., April 29, 2005

By 

Bruce Loveitt (Ogdensburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America (Hardcover)

I read a lot of history books and am always glad to find a book that deals with a topic I know little or nothing about. It's an added bonus if the book is well-written and a pleasure to read, as this one is. "Bound For Canaan" is both thought-provoking and entertaining, which is another big plus. Mr. Bordewich presents many harrowing tales of escape, attempted escape, and recapture. Famous people, such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and John Brown, are brought to life. Even better, brave people who have been lost in the mist of history, such as Jermain Loguen, Gerrit Smith, and Levi Coffin, are given their day in the sun. The Underground Railroad was peopled by slaves, free blacks, and women, as well as white male abolitionists. People with strong religious beliefs, notably Quakers, but also Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists were in the forefront of the movement to abolish slavery. What I especially liked about this book was that Mr. Bordewich didn't try to simplify things. People and movements are complex, and all the nuances are present here: religious abolitionists who wanted an end to slavery, but who thought blacks were inferior and shouldn't be allowed to vote or "mingle" with whites; male abolitionists who thought women had no business being active in the movement; slaves who betrayed (for reward money) other slaves who were attempting to escape; American Indians being slaveholders; "free" blacks not being allowed to vote or to use "white" accomodations, etc. It was especially interesting (and ironic) to learn of the numerous "passengers" who chose to go to Canada (still under British rule at the time)so that they could get a fair shake....British law treated them as equal to white people, and they didn't have to worry about being hunted down and being returned to slavery. (In the United States even blacks who were born free, or who had purchased their freedom, could be kidnapped and sold into slavery.) Presidents and other politicians (Martin Van Buren, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster) who were either sincerely pro-slavery or willing to compromise to appease the southern states at any cost, come off especially badly. This was a time when government was wrong and conscience was right, and it took both physical and moral courage to buck the system. You might be wondering about the title of this review.........West Virginia was formed when Virginians opposed to slavery decided to create a new state where slavery would not be permitted. And Kentucky? When the southern states seceded from the Union, Kentucky (and Maryland) did not join them. When Lincoln "freed the slaves" he only freed those in the states which had seceded. As the Civil War roared on to its conclusion, slaveholders in Kentucky and Maryland continued to enjoy their rights. This is an excellent book which illuminates a movement which most Americans know little about....and which is both scholarly and entertaining. It is well-worth your time.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Road to Hope (Engaging Scholarship), May 30, 2005

By 

Steven K. Szmutko (EWING, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America (Hardcover)

For many, hear the phrase "Underground Railroad" and immediately the names of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and - well maybe that's about it - come to mind. Textbooks give, at best, a few pages of only the most superficial examination of a pivotal movement in American history. Most of what we have learned about it from either these sources, or brief mentions in periodicals and such. BOUND FOR CANAAN offers a fresh insightful and illuminating exploration of this ultimate road to hope, which helped to dismantle the great American hypocrisy of slavery amidst the rhetoric of liberty.

Fergus M. Bordewich is an exemplary writer and historian - a master craftsman of the written word. His writings have appeared in American Heritage, Smithsonian, Atlantic Monthly and others. Journalist and author, he has authored well-received books including KILLING THE WHITE MAN'S INDIAN, which dispels Native American misconceptions and fallacies, and MY MOTHER'S GHOST, an exploration of the author's dealing with the tragic death of his mother. His current book stands as an in-depth study of the Underground Railroad, synthesizing original materials, academic research and anecdotal recollections into a seamless and thoughtful narrative of epic proportions.

The true value of BOUND FOR CANAAN (in my opinion) is Mr. Bordewich's presentation of the humanity of the movement. Historical figures - black and white, slave and free, noted and obscure - all are shown as complex richly textured characters in the ultimate American drama. Men and women are shown in all of their strengths and weaknesses, rather than one-dimensional stereotypes. Within a chronological framework, the author interweaves the compelling personal stories of flesh-and-blood with the broader themes of slavery as a political, social, moral and ultimately theological issue.

Beyond the historical scholarship, BOUND FOR CANAAN reminds us that all men and women, by bonding together, forward the American ideals of liberty and equality. The Underground Railroad, part of the larger abolitionist movement, shows how persons of all races, philosophies and creeds can cast off the shackles of evil by working together. While the struggle for equality is a continual struggle, the power of men and women, motivated by simple human decency, can overcome institutions which exploit human capital in its most fundamental nature.

An important lesson of this engaging book is its telling of this great story in human terms. It emphasizes the commonalities that define us as human beings and how that commonality slowly (too slowly) can change the course of human events - a liberation at great price. This book is well worth the time for anyone who wishes to understand the Underground Railroad's role in American history - a road to a more just nation.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential, comprehensive history of the Underground RR!!, April 9, 2005

By 

David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America (Hardcover)

This book is a huge contribution to the literature of the decades leading up to the Civil War. Until Eric Foner's monumental work, there was no good, comprehensive history of Reconstruction in the years following the War. So too, until now, there has not been a good, comprehensive history of the Underground Railroad. Author Fergus M. Bordewich has remedied this with "Bound for Canaan." There have certainly been histories of the years leading up to the Civil War, indeed one of the best is the beginning couple of hundred pages of James McPherson's "Battlecry of Freedom." But these histories were intended to cover the broader spectrum of events leading to the Civil War. This concentration on the Underground Railroad is long overdue.

We have all heard of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, both monumental figures. However, there were numerous heroes of the Underground Railroad who have been lost to history. Fortunately, Bordewich brings to life figures such as Isaac Hopper, Levi Coffin, David Ruggles, Josiah Henson and many others. Sadly, because there was scant record keeping of many of the Underground Railroad's activities, some others may be permanently lost to history.

Early efforts at rescuing slaves commenced with the efforts of Quakers such as Isaac Hopper in Philadelphia. Also, on or about 1805, a young Quaker boy, Levi Coffin, saw the horrible sight of slaves, chained together, being marched along the road. He saw the hopelessness in them and also, the fate of another slave who was probably a runaway. He had a metal collar placed around his neck and it was afixed to the master's buggy. The poor fellow was forced to run behind the buggy at a rapid clip to avoid being dragged by the neck. These memories led Coffin to become a leader in the Underground Railroad in Indiana (where he had moved). Of course, early on the term "Underground Railroad" was not used because there were no actual railroads to be named after. Later on, however, in the 1840s, when railroads started to grow, a proslavery opponent of Coffin labled him the "president" of the Undergrond Railroad. Coffin took this an honor, not an insult, and indeed, it was just that, a testiment to a heroic individual who devoted his life to freeing slaves.

Many evangelical Christians were fervent abolitionists and instrumental in the network constituting the Underground Railroad. Such an individual was Reverend John Rankin of Ohio, whose entire family was involved in this network. These people were often austere, stolid individuals who were religious fundamentalists, moved by religious fervor. In just about every way, they were conservative. They were religious moralists. Today, many people have a need to use lables, sometimes perjoratively, such as "religious right." It is well to remember that many true heroes of the abolitionist movement, people who put their own safety on the line, were what could be labled "religious right."

The network involved Quakers, evangelicals, secular abolitionists, escaped slaves, free blacks and, women who would later form the women's rights movements. Women's rights giant Lucretia Mott got her start as an activist in the Underground Railroad. The escaped slave Hariett Tubman is also another female giant in the movement, perhaps the leading figure. She could not read and she spoke in the manner of an uneducated fieldhand. However, Tubman was smart, a good organizer and also, extraordinarily courageous as she often went back, below the Mason Dixon Line, to effect an escape. She put her life and security on the line but, she was a slightly built, nondescript woman, and perhaps she was successful because she did not have an appearance which would draw attention to herself.

The railroad consisted of stations, which were often the homes of people sympathetic to the cause. There would be a "stationmaster" who took care of fugitives at these stations. "Conductors" would often escort them to the next station. However, particularly in the early days, there was no conductor and a frightened fugitive with no knowledge of geography or of the topography of the route, would have to have the courage to navigate through a great unknown. Incredibly, many did.

The terminus was often Canada since draconian fugitive slave laws, particularly the one enacted in 1850, made even the north a risky place for escaped slaves. There was tremedous risk involved and failure could result in flogging, death, and imprisonment. Bordewich gives examples of some of these horrors. However, in the last few years, the network became so successful that the secret became an open secret as fugitives and their rescuers became safer since their efforts were making the fugitive slave law less enforceable.

This fine book is very readable and is hard to put down. I certainly learned a wealth of new information and I am delighted that forgotten heroes are being reintroduced to history. I strongly recommend this fine book.