The Underground Railroad

June 15, 2012

Walters (philosophy, Gettysburg Coll.; The Sane Society: Benjamin Franklin and His Gods) introduces the men and women who used peaceful means to combat slavery in America, acknowledging that "the literature on the Underground Railroad is vast.... [T]his volume aims to do little more than offer readers an introduction to the movement." He describes the "railroad," a system of escape routes for slaves fleeing from the South into the northern United States and Canada as "civil disobedience...against the abomination of slavery." The title opens with a chronology spanning 1619, when the first slaves were brought to America at Jamestown, VA, to the end of the railroad in 1870. The introduction discusses legal issues such as those relating to the U.S. Constitution, the Fugitive Slave Acts, and related laws. The remaining five chapters, each of which offers a source list, discuss many of the reasons for and means and personalities of the movement. The biographies section contains brief profiles of, for example, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Henry Bibb, and Daniel Drayton. The annotated bibliography has numerous print and nonprint sources listed. VERDICT Owing to the decades' worth of material analyzed here, this historical reference work will make a suitable guide and starting point for students and general readers alike. Secondary and other general collections should consider it for purchase.--David Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-A conversational tone makes this an engaging cover-to-cover read as well as a solid work for reference; it features gripping stories of fugitives and abolitionists within a factual overview. The time line ranges from 1619, when the first slaves arrived in Jamestown aboard a Dutch ship, to 1870, when the 15th amendment granted voting privileges to black men and the Underground Railroad was officially shut down. Beginning with a broad survey of slave resistance and revolt, Walters explains how abolitionists, clergy, and others felt that the "higher law" of justice, right, and freedom superseded unjust legislation, and this noble cause fueled support across a broad population. The Underground Railroad is described, not as a highly structured organization but as a functional system of coordinated efforts to move fugitives from one location to another. Primary-source excerpts inform readers that slaves became "packages," volunteers were "agents," and safe houses were referred to as "depots." Specific incidents, such as William "Jerry" Henry's capture in Syracuse, NY, where a mob of blacks and whites tore down the jailhouse door to free him, are fascinating and illustrate failed attempts to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law. Extensive notes, a chronology, an annotated bibliography, and primary-source material balance the narrative, and a general index points students to key people and events. A handful of captioned black-and-white maps and illustrations appears strategically throughout. The primary sources are the perfect length for supporting the use of informational text in Common Core Standards for both ELA and social studies.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia Jr. Sr. High School, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2012
The Underground Railroad is one of the most misunderstood elements of the events leading up to the Civil War. Part of this is because of the oversimplification found in history books and other works concentrating on such larger-than-life figures as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and others. This book, part of the Guides to Historic Events in America series, brings into perspective what the Underground Railroad did and how it operated. This guide begins with a chronology from 1690 to 1870, followed by an introduction that attempts to separate the legends from the reality of the times. Subsequent chapters cover the major aspects of slavery and the Underground Railroad: slave defiance and debunking the myth of the happy slave, abolitionists, the loose organization of the Underground Railroad and just how dangerous it could be, attempts to reclaim slaves that had escaped, and how the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 forced many runaways and even free blacks to flee to Canada. The book also features a biographical section profiling 26 notable personalities of the times. Many of the people who are covered in the biographies should be better known than they are, such as Henry Bibb and his newspaper rival Mary Ann Shadd, who could never agree on how free blacks should fit into society. An appendix of primary documents, an annotated bibliography, and an index round out the volume. This work, while not denying the racism that existed in the Northern states, shows that both whites and blacks cooperated to aid runaways and attacks the myth that slaves needed to be taken care of or were happy in their servitude. Recommended for school and public libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)