Cycling the Underground Railroad-Part 2

 GETTING EDUCATED

To get the most out of this journey, I'm continuing to read and explore.  Here is what I've delved into in preparation for experiencing the "borderlands"--along the Ohio River where the North met the South, and anti-slavery and pro-slavery sentiments were very strong.

Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad, by Ann Hagedorn is a meticulously researched and comprehensive narrative of the life of John Rankin, his family and his colleagues--both black and white--in the Ripley, Ohio area.  The author actually lives in Ripley, and brings a lot of local color to her work.  I plan to go to Rankin's home on this trip.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a classic, and arguably one of the most influential American literary works of the 19th Century.  I think most of us had read parts of this book in a high school or college English or literature class, but I can't say ever remember the entire book.  Written in somewhat stodgy 1800s English, including much of the Southern dialect, it takes a bit of determination to wade through it.  But it is so worth.  Her moral argument against slavery is humanized by the detailed description of the varied characters.  One of the most prominent features of the story is how Christian ethics played a major part in her apologetic.

The Underground Railroad:  Life on the Road to Freedom, edited by Pat Perrin.  I picked up this little book at the Visitor's Center of Shiloh Battlefield National Military Park.  It's a collection of short, first hand accounts from the mid-1800s of the experiences of freedom seekers.  A much easier read than Uncle Tom's Cabin, it gives the reader a taste of the struggles fugitive slaves went through in their quest for liberty.

The Underground Railroad:  Authentic Narratives and First-Hand Accounts, by William Still.  Still, the son of slaves, was the secretary of an abolitionist group in Philadelphia called The General Vigilance Committee.  As freedom-seekers made their way North with the help of this group, Still faithfully wrote down their experiences.  Still was the second greatest "conductor" on the railroad, bested only by Harriet Tubman.  "It is considered the most complete firsthand account ever written of the men, women and children who rode the legendary 'Railroad' to freedom."  The work also includes illustrations from the original publication.

When Stars Begin to Fall:  Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America, by Theodore R. Johnson.  The author is the great grandson of slaves, and served as a Commander in the U.S. Navy, including work as a speechwriter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the Obama Administration.  He combines his personal history with a broad and informed perspective on today's current situation.  I've just started this book, and am finding it a really good read.