THE RUNAWAY
Escaping from slavery, like Eliza did, was not unheard of as plantation size increased. Eliza had a typical life working as a field worker in the cotton belt of the American South. Rising early, working long days, and always the threat of the overseer loitering over her head. Many large plantation masters left the management of the slaves and their work to an overseer(2).
Another harsh reality about Eliza’s story is her separation from her husband. There was no guarantee that slave families would stay together and could be broken apart at any point. Spouses torn from each other, sibling taken from sibling, and children taken from parents(2). Each sold into the national institution(3).
The interesting part of Eliza’s story is how she escaped from her sorrows by using the Underground Railroad. This network of abolitionists’ houses that helped slaves escape North also went by the code name of the North Star or the Freedom Trail. It was a very risky option, but had high rewards if successful. The slaves that escaped would flee to places either marked or known for their kind, sympathetic owners. These owners, who were abolitionists, would then hide the slaves or transport them to other “depots” where they would continue their journey(5). As the escapees continued their journey between the network, they would use various signs that abolitionists put out to help them find their way. This was most commonly done through the display of quilted patterns. Each pattern would have a different meaning that would dictate to a slave what that abolitionist had for the slaves they were hiding.
In addition to abolitionists helping the slaves escape, it was not uncommon for former slaves to return for their family members to help them escape. The most famous instance of this was Harriet Tubman, a female slave who escaped from her master multiple times to lead people on the Underground Railroad(6). She led so many slaves to freedom, she earned herself the nickname Moses from the slaves, just as he led the slaves to freedom out of Egypt(6).
Eliza’s story also acknowledges the difference between free states and slave states. While the Underground Railroad ran through multiple different paths, the ultimate goal was to end up in a free state in which the bounty hunters could not catch and return the slaves to their former masters7. Many of the free states established by the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed for free states to join the Union, but a balance of slave and free state must be maintained. Other such pieces of legislation like the Fugitive Slave Acts allowed an escaped and now free slave to be captured and returned to their former masters.
Another harsh reality about Eliza’s story is her separation from her husband. There was no guarantee that slave families would stay together and could be broken apart at any point. Spouses torn from each other, sibling taken from sibling, and children taken from parents(2). Each sold into the national institution(3).
The interesting part of Eliza’s story is how she escaped from her sorrows by using the Underground Railroad. This network of abolitionists’ houses that helped slaves escape North also went by the code name of the North Star or the Freedom Trail. It was a very risky option, but had high rewards if successful. The slaves that escaped would flee to places either marked or known for their kind, sympathetic owners. These owners, who were abolitionists, would then hide the slaves or transport them to other “depots” where they would continue their journey(5). As the escapees continued their journey between the network, they would use various signs that abolitionists put out to help them find their way. This was most commonly done through the display of quilted patterns. Each pattern would have a different meaning that would dictate to a slave what that abolitionist had for the slaves they were hiding.
In addition to abolitionists helping the slaves escape, it was not uncommon for former slaves to return for their family members to help them escape. The most famous instance of this was Harriet Tubman, a female slave who escaped from her master multiple times to lead people on the Underground Railroad(6). She led so many slaves to freedom, she earned herself the nickname Moses from the slaves, just as he led the slaves to freedom out of Egypt(6).
Eliza’s story also acknowledges the difference between free states and slave states. While the Underground Railroad ran through multiple different paths, the ultimate goal was to end up in a free state in which the bounty hunters could not catch and return the slaves to their former masters7. Many of the free states established by the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed for free states to join the Union, but a balance of slave and free state must be maintained. Other such pieces of legislation like the Fugitive Slave Acts allowed an escaped and now free slave to be captured and returned to their former masters.