{"id":4829,"date":"2023-03-01T16:40:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T16:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/?page_id=4829"},"modified":"2025-02-13T18:13:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T18:13:56","slug":"underground-railroad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/course-syllabus\/underground-railroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Underground Railroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<h1>How should we teach the story of William and Eliza Parker and other UGRR figures?<\/h1>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Christiana Riot:\u00a0 Case study in History &amp; Memory<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_3089\" style=\"width: 927px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/files\/2022\/11\/ChristianaColorized.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3089\" class=\"wp-image-3089 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/files\/2022\/11\/ChristianaColorized.jpg\" alt=\"Christiana\" width=\"917\" height=\"478\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3089\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christiana (1851), orig. by John Osler, colorized by Gabe Pinsker (<a href=\"https:\/\/hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu\/node\/18733\">House Divided Project<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>TERMINOLOGY DEBATE: \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/000\/insurrections-slave-stampedes-riots.htm\">Riot or resistance?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2395\" style=\"width: 950px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-19-at-8.45.51-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2395\" class=\"size-large wp-image-2395\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-19-at-8.45.51-AM-1024x780.png\" alt=\"Parker house\" width=\"940\" height=\"716\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2395\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parker house at Christiana, c. 1890 (no longer standing) with 1850 census records<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2383\" style=\"width: 649px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2383\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2383\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Parkers-Horn.jpeg\" alt=\"Horn\" width=\"639\" height=\"381\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-2383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eliza Parker&#8217;s original horn, Christiana, PA (courtesy of Christiana Historical Society; photo by Aiden Pinsker)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Below: interview with Michele Parker Samuels, descendant of William and Eliza Parker, conducted April 2021 by Aiden Pinsker<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 629px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-4829-1\" width=\"629\" height=\"354\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Michele_Samuels_escape_page_video.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Michele_Samuels_escape_page_video.mp4\">https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Michele_Samuels_escape_page_video.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<p>For more information on William Parker&#8217;s mysterious later life, see <a href=\"https:\/\/lincolnconspirators.com\/tag\/william-parker\/\">this research post<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>1854: Case Study in Turning Points<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xEsD5ORJFG4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For full narrative, see <a href=\"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/stampedes\/the-1854-st-louis-stampedes\/\">this post at the stampedes project blog<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/map-room\/\">Slave Stampedes:\u00a0 Case Study in Mapping<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Slave Stampedes, 1847-1865\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/Embed\/index.html?webmap=1d5f51ee1a27476a83e26135712e2f3a&amp;extent=-113.9119,23.783,-65.3962,45.1957&amp;home=true&amp;zoom=true&amp;previewImage=false&amp;scale=true&amp;search=true&amp;searchextent=true&amp;details=true&amp;legendlayers=true&amp;active_panel=legend&amp;disable_scroll=false&amp;theme=light\" width=\"500\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-origwidth=\"500\" data-origheight=\"400\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dec 1845:\u00a0 Harriet Tubman Case Study<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thomas Garrett to James Miller McKim, Dec. 29, 1854<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4840\" style=\"width: 249px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.11.57-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4840\" class=\"wp-image-4840 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.11.57-PM-239x300.png\" alt=\"Tubman\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.11.57-PM-239x300.png 239w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.11.57-PM.png 466w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Newly discovered Tubman image<\/p><\/div>\n<p>ESTEEMED FRIEND: We made arrangements last night, and sent away Harriet Tubman, with six men and one woman to Allen Agnew&#8217;s, to be forwarded across the country to the city. Harriet, and one of the men had worn their shoes off their feet, and I gave them two dollars to help fit them out, and directed a carriage to be hired at my expense, to take them out, but do not yet know the expense. I now have two more from the lowest county in Maryland, on the Peninsula, upwards of one hundred miles. I will try to get one of our trusty colored men to take them to-morrow morning to the Anti-slavery office. You can then pass them on.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \/\/ THOMAS GARRETT [WILMINGTON, DE]<\/p>\n<p><strong>William Still\u2019s vigilance journal, December 29, 1854<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4837\" style=\"width: 282px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.04.08-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4837\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4837\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.04.08-PM-272x300.png\" alt=\"Vigilance\" width=\"272\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.04.08-PM-272x300.png 272w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.04.08-PM.png 644w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4837\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Entry from William Still&#8217;s vigilance journal<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Harriet Tubman<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Dec. 29\/54<br \/>\n(6) Arrived<\/strong> <strong>[PHILADELPHIA]<\/strong> John Chase, (now Dan. Lloyd), Benj. Ross (now Jas. Stewart) Henry Ross, \u00a0(now Lewis Stewart), Peter Jackson, (now Stanch Tilghman) Jane Kane, (now Catherine K.) Robert Ross John is 20 yrs of age, chesnut color, spair built, Smart &amp;c\u00a0 He fled from John Campbell Henry, a farmer, who resided at Cambridge, Dorchester, Md.\u00a0 John spoke of his master as being a hard man_ owns 140 slaves.\u00a0 Some he sells, occasionally_\u00a0 The owner would not allow John to Seek his own master_ this was the cause of his escape Left behind mother, Bro\u2019s, &amp; sisters, all slaves. Benj. Is 28 yrs of age, chesnut color, medium size, intelligent &amp;c\u00a0 He was owned by Eliza Ann Brodius [BRODESS]_ lived near Bucktown, Cambridge Md. The Mistress was discribed as being \u201cvery Devilish.\u201d_\u00a0 Three slaves finding It difficult to support a family of 8 (whites) they had come to the conclusion to escape to save themselves from being sold.\u00a0 had been threatened.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sydney Howard Gay\u2019s Record of Fugitives (1855-56)<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4838\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.03.58-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4838\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4838\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.03.58-PM-300x220.png\" alt=\"Gay\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.03.58-PM-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/files\/2023\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-03-01-at-4.03.58-PM.png 478w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4838\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cover page, Gay&#8217;s Record of Fugitives<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>[NEW YORK CITY, May 1856] <\/strong>Harriett Tubman seven years ago was [the] slave of Edward Brodhurst [BRODESS] of Bucktown, Md. Her master dying, [the] estate to be settled, + two of her sisters having been sold into a &#8216;chain-gang,&#8217; she determined to run away. She did so, + made her way to Canada\u2026. At Christmas [1854] she returned again for her brothers. Their term of service with [the] lumberman had expired. At Christmas they were to have been sold. On Christmas eve. 1854. she + they left for Canada, where they soon after arrived safely.<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>UGRR:\u00a0 Case Study in Defining Terms<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>Statistical Gateway<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Enslaved population in 1840: roughly 2 million<\/li>\n<li>Enslaved population in 1860: roughly 4 million<\/li>\n<li>Estimated number of antebellum slave sale transactions: 2 million<\/li>\n<li>Ratio of antebellum slave marriages broken apart by sale: \u00bc<\/li>\n<li>Annual temporary escapes from slavery (\u201claying out\u201d): 100,000<\/li>\n<li>Annual attempts at permanent escapes from slavery: 1,000<\/li>\n<li>Documented recaption (kidnapping) efforts across North during 1850s: 150<\/li>\n<li>Documented individual fugitive rendition cases\u00a0between 1850-1861: \u00a0200<\/li>\n<li>Total number of formal federal rendition hearings between 1850-1861: \u00a0125<\/li>\n<li>Number of rendition hearings in New England states after 1854: \u00a00<\/li>\n<li>Percentage of nation\u2019s rendition hearings held in Ohio 1855-1861: 75<\/li>\n<li>Vigilance committee records for successful escapes during 1850s:\u00a0 3,000+<\/li>\n<li>Documented vigilance-led resistance efforts during 1850s: \u00a080<\/li>\n<li>Total casualties from antebellum resistance efforts: \u00a0100s<\/li>\n<li>Number of UGRR operatives killed in free states: 0<\/li>\n<li>Number of freedom seekers killed in free states:\u00a0 1<\/li>\n<li>Number of slaveholders or slave catchers killed in free states:\u00a0 3<\/li>\n<li>Number of UGRR operatives fined or imprisoned in free states: \u00a0about 10-12<\/li>\n<li>People imprisoned for slave-stealing in South, 1840s-50s: 200+<\/li>\n<li>Longest sentence issued for UGRR conviction under federal law: \u00a03 months<\/li>\n<li>Longest imprisonment for UGRR operative in a slave state: \u00a017 years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-288pinsker\/files\/2021\/09\/Handout-Defining-UGRR.pdf\">Handout \u2013Defining UGRR<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/files\/2022\/08\/1842-Albany-Tocsin-reprint-UGRR.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1951 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/files\/2022\/08\/1842-Albany-Tocsin-reprint-UGRR.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 816px) 100vw, 816px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/2022\/08\/1842-Albany-Tocsin-reprint-UGRR.png 816w, https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/2022\/08\/1842-Albany-Tocsin-reprint-UGRR-300x123.png 300w, https:\/\/housedivided.dickinson.edu\/sites\/ugrr\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/2\/files\/2022\/08\/1842-Albany-Tocsin-reprint-UGRR-768x314.png 768w\" alt=\"UGRR reference\" width=\"816\" height=\"334\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1951\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1951\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">One of the earliest public references to the \u201cunderground railroad\u201d from the\u00a0<em>Albany Tocsin of Liberty<\/em>\u00a0in 1842, reprinted widely by other abolitionist newspapers that autumn (Chronicling America)<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JkHK8qDrTTM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"560\" data-origheight=\"315\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How should we teach the story of William and Eliza Parker and other UGRR figures? &nbsp; Christiana Riot:\u00a0 Case study in History &amp; Memory TERMINOLOGY DEBATE: \u00a0Riot or resistance? &nbsp; &nbsp; Below: interview with Michele Parker Samuels, descendant of William and Eliza Parker, conducted April 2021 by Aiden Pinsker For more information on William Parker&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":0,"parent":13,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4829","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/373"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4829\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/hist-204pinsker\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}