The Underground Railroad | Crossing the Line | 3

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On the morning of April 16th, 1848, dozens of Washington, D.C. slaveowners woke up to find that their slaves were gone. The previous night, 77 enslaved men, women, and children had quietly run away and boarded a ship docked in the Potomac River.

It was the largest single escape attempt by enslaved people in American history. And it sparked riots in the streets of Washington and heated battles in government. Slaveowners and their allies in Congress grew more determined than ever to stem the tide of fugitive slaves.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	1st
0:11.0	Imagine. Imagine it's early in the morning of April 16th, 1848. You're at home in your
0:18.3	Washington, D.C. townhouse and wrap a shawl around your shoulders as you descend the staircase.
0:23.4	It's unusually cold today and you're looking forward to the comfort of a hot breakfast.
0:27.8	You push open the door of the dining room and stop in your tracks.
0:31.8	The table is bare and no one has lit the fire.
0:35.0	Mary?
0:36.0	You stride across the room to enter the kitchen.
0:39.0	Normally, by the time you come downstairs, your slave girl Mary has been up for hours preparing food.
0:44.0	But today, she's nowhere to be found, and the pots and pans are untouched.
0:48.0	You're filled with annoying sense of dread.
0:52.0	Mary, come here right now.
0:55.0	You walk out the back door and spot your neighbor's slave, Sally, sweeping the steps next door.
1:01.0	Sally.
1:02.0	Girl drops her broom and her eyes widen with fear.
1:05.0	Morning, ma'am.
1:07.0	Have you seen Mary?
1:09.0	I don't know, ma'am.
1:11.0	Where is she, Sallyally I need her here the house is in complete
1:15.8	disarray Sally fidgets avoiding eye contact your frustration grows did she go visit relatives in Maryland?
1:24.0	She knows better than to leave without my permission.
1:27.0	I don't know, ma'am.
	...

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