Fleeing for Freedom: Stories of the Underground Railroad as Told by Levi Coffin and William Still [Paperback]

Willene Hendrick (Editor), George Hendrick (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2003

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From former Univ. of Illinois professor of English George Hendrick and his spouse Willene comes this valuable condensation of two classic narratives of the Underground Railroad. The first is by Coffin,a Quaker born in the South, who lived and passed along fugitive slaves in Indiana. The second is by Still, a free Black who was active in Philadelphia’s anti-slavery circles for most of his life. Each wrote a vast autobiography, which the Hendricks have trimmed down for this volume. The result makes for somewhat choppy reading, but still offers a feast for students of the subject. Coffin and Still’s works include some of the classic escape narratives, including the stories of Henry Box Brown, who had himself shipped as freight, and of the Gateses, who disguised themselves as a young master (the light-skinned wife) and her body servant (the darker husband). More important are portraits of average fugitives, who came from an incredibly wide demographic spectrum. Throughout the history of the escape network, both black and white persons risked their lives in the South and, once the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, in the North as well. The Christiana, Pennsylvania, shootout described by Still goes far to explain how much damage that odious Act and the slave-catchers it let loose in the North did, and the book as a whole does a nice job of illustrating the emerging crisis over slavery in human terms.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Culled from the reminiscences of two abolitionists who worked on the Underground Railroad, these stories are firsthand accounts of a number of perilous escapes by slaves and the rescue efforts of a handful of committed "station masters." An ingenious system for aiding runaway slaves was devised and refined by quiet heroes such as Levi Coffin, a successful Quaker merchant, and William Still, a free black man. Representative of the diversity that defined abolitionism, these two did history a great service by diligently chronicling their experiences in Coffin's Reminiscences (1876) and Still's Underground Rail Road (1872). By selecting a handful of these narratives and placing them into proper historical context, the editors are able to present a contemporary analysis of two valuable primary sources. A must for African American history collections, this book provides a compelling glimpse into a noble juncture in the American experience. Since publication is timed to coincide with both Black History Month and the opening of the new Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, this volume is sure to be in immediate demand. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee; 224 edition (November 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566635462
• ISBN-13: 978-1566635462
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars facinating and well written piece of history, September 1, 2006

By 

J. K. Smith (Wiltshire , United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fleeing for Freedom: Stories of the Underground Railroad as Told by Levi Coffin and William Still (Paperback)

After visiting Ohio and had the pleasure of visiting John Rankin's house in Ripley i became facinated in the story of the underground railway and the people who aided the slaves to freedom. what i liked about this book is that the chapters didnt go on and on where some books almost force you in to your mind wandering off to elesewhere. nicely written and to keep you interested it discusses and describes different people and their tales of involvement

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BOOK REVIEW, February 8, 2007

By 

Donna Funk - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Fleeing for Freedom: Stories of the Underground Railroad as Told by Levi Coffin and William Still (Paperback)

Very satisfied. Thanks for the excellent service. Cheers!
- Steve B., Librarian (Indianapolis)