My Escape from Slavery

Book Id: WPLBN0000618399
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 0.5 MB
Reproduction Date:

Title:	My Escape from Slavery
Author:
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Literature & thought, Literature and history, Literature & philosophy
Collections:	Project Gutenberg Consortia Center
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Project Gutenberg Consortia Center


Citation APA MLA Chicago My Escape from Slavery. (n.d.). My Escape from Slavery. Retrieved from https://self.gutenberg.org/

Excerpt
In the first narrative of my experience in slavery, written nearly forty years ago, and in various writings since, I have given the public what I considered very good reasons for withholding the manner of my escape. In substance these reasons were, first, that such publication at any time during the existence of slavery might be used by the master against the slave, and prevent the future escape of any who might adopt the same means that I did. The second reason was, if possible, still more binding to silence: the publication of details would certainly have put in peril the persons and property of those who assisted. Murder itself was not more sternly and certainly punished in the State of Maryland than that of aiding and abetting the escape of a slave. Many colored men, for no other crime than that of giving aid to a fugitive slave, have, like Charles T. Torrey, perished in prison. The abolition of slavery in my native State and throughout the country, and the lapse of time, render the caution hitherto observed no longer necessary. But even since the abolition of slavery, I have sometimes thought it well enough to baffle curiosity by saying that while slavery existed there were good reasons for not telling the manner of my escape, and since slavery had ceased to exist, there was no reason for telling it.