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Review
| The Underground Railroad in History and Memory: Passages to Freedom, by David W. Blight, ed. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2004. 335 pages. $39.95, cloth.
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| Few historical topics in the United States illicit as much popular enthusiasm and misinformation as the Underground Railroad. Contemporary literature for children is replete with heroic tales of the courage and success exhibited by fugitive slaves, annual history day competitions always contain a healthy number of "runaway" exhibits, and literally hundreds of communities across the mid west and the northeast boast of houses and barns that served as secret stations on the Underground Railroad (now conveniently open for historical tourism). The latest manifestation of burgeoning public interest in this topic is the recent opening of the National Underground Freedom Center in Cincinnati, the first museum dedicated to interpreting fugitive slaves in a national context. Specifically commissioned to accompany the opening of the Freedom Center, Passages to Freedom is intended to introduce the broadest possible audience to the pleasures and problems associated with recovering the accurate narrative behind the Underground Railroad. |
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Under the editorial review of David Blight, this work coalesces the ideas of fourteen established scholars who provide largely original essays on both the function and the meaning of the Underground Railroad. On the whole most of the essays do not offer any new interpretive arguments, but this is not their primary intent. On the contrary, the collective purpose of all the authors is essentially narrative, contextual, and consciousness-raising for a general readership. In this regard, the work succeeds admirably and consequently holds some promise for classroom use. The text itself is divided into three broad topical areas: slavery and abolition, narratives of resistance and escape, and contemporary reflections on disentangling history from legend. Blight's introductory essay provides an essential foundation for the healthy skepticism which must accompany the study of an institution shrouded in as much secrecy and folklore as the Underground Railroad. Blight encourages uninitiated readers to embrace an introspective view of the actual differences between the terms "history" and "memory." This is a vital distinction for a subject that contains as much mythology as factuality. Overall, the entire work is more than an overview of the mysterious railroad, it is a useful synopsis of the history of slavery in America. |
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Comprising the briefest section, part one consists of three essays which examine the consequences of slavery before the Civil War. Ira Berlin explores the beginnings of enslavement in the New World and reminds us of the fluid social status of Africans during the seventeenth century before the codification of slavery in colonial law. Deborah Gray White revisits some of the more barbaric atrocities of the slave era which reveal human degradation at its worst. James Brewer Stewart concludes this section by offering a solid overview of the evolution of abolitionist strategy from 1831-1861. It is also an insightful summary of the critical ideologies which competed for the attention of citizens throughout antebellum America. |
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Part two, the largest section, explores the diversity of the Underground Railroad and underscores the fact that the term itself is a reflection of a pervasive attitude of resistance which permeated antebellum slavery. John Michael Vlach argues that the destination of escaped slaves was not always geographic specific. If freedom could not be attained in the North, it could also be found in places like the Great Dismal Swamp or among the Seminoles of Florida. Jane Landers echoes the importance of Florida and the creation of multi-cultural and free communities extending back to the beginnings of Spanish colonialism. R. J. M. Blackett thoroughly documents the widespread and even violent reaction against the Fugitive Slave Law. Lois Horton expands Blackett's topic as she highlights dramatic examples of kidnaping fugitives and free blacks during the 1850s. Although the Underground Railroad is full of folklore, James Horton reminds the reader that a few cases stand up to the most rigorous historical scrutiny. Horton recounts the fascinating life of William Still, a free black in Philadelphia who kept detailed records of the 649 fugitives who crossed his path. Catherine Clinton employs a similar strategy in her essay on Harriet Tubman, the woman who still provides the face of the Underground Railroad for most contemporary Americans. Indeed, Tubman garners so much attention because she truly acted as a "conductor" who literally ushered refugees from bondage to freedom. Concluding this section, Bruce Levine provides important context and reminds us of the statistically minimal effect that escaping fugitives had on reducing America's enslaved population. However, the chaos of the Civil War provided the necessary diversion as up to twenty percent of the Old South's slaves took the opportunity to walk to freedom on their own behalf. |
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The final section contains essays by David Blight, Jane Williamson, Milton Sernett, Diane Miller, and Eddie Glaude which examine our contemporary memory of the Underground Railroad. Collectively, these particular essays reinforce an understanding that preconceived notions about the Underground Railroad cannot always be confirmed. Such notions typically reveal more about our modern temperament than our documented past. Once again, Blight's essay is especially thought provoking as he raises the ubiquitous question about memory: why do so many of us want to believe a counterfactual past? As a class text, Passages to Freedom contains many strengths for an undergraduate course. It is thoroughly illustrated and sufficiently broad to justify its use in the first half of an American survey. Likewise, it holds obvious significance for courses on the Old South and African American history. However, I would also recommend its use for courses in public history due to its judicious evaluation problems of interpreting popular topics replete with conflicting evidence. |
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| University of Memphis |
Gary T. Edwards |
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