The Refugee: Narratives of Fugitive Slaves in Canada [Paperback]

Benjamin Drew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2004

Originally published in 1856, these narratives were collected by Boston abolitionist Benjamin Drew (1812-1903), whose trip through Canada was sponsored by the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada and by John P. Jewett, the publisher of Uncle Tom's Cabin. In 1852 the colored population of Upper Canada was estimated to be thirty thousand. Of this large number, nearly all the adults, and many of the children, had been fugitive slaves from the United States. Harriet Tubman was one of the interviewees for this book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Through its abundance of firsthand testimony, The Refugee provides a long and heart-wrenching glimpse into a chapter of both U.S. and Canadian history. The eloquent narratives reveal the courage and ingenuity of men and women who first succeeded in escaping the physical and mental torments of slavery, and then built livelihoods from scratch in a different frontier land ... Regardless of the choice of edition, The Refugee is an emotionally powerful and factually detailed nonfiction classic - essential reading for anyone who wants to hear and understand the voices of slavery survivors, and early black settlers in Canada."

(Joseph Howse Chronicle-Herald, The ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

The only collection of first-hand interviews of fugitive slaves in Canada ever produced, this is an invaluable record of the early black Canadian experience. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: University Press of the Pacific; 1 edition (March 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410212297
• ISBN-13: 978-1410212290
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,130,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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