5000 Miles to Freedom

5000 Miles to Freedom
by, Judith Bloom Fradin
National Geographic, 2006. 96 pages. Juvenile Biography

This is the true and inspiring story of Ellen and William Craft. The Crafts were a married couple who were also slaves, in Macon, Georgia in the year 1848. As slaves any children they bore would become the property of their owners. This was something they could not stand for. Being a very courageous couple, they came up with a plan to escape Georgia, the South, and slavery. Mrs. Craft wore a disguise that protected both her and her husband, as they embarked on their journey to freedom. Their road to freedom was not easy, there were many times where they were required to use their creativity and quick thinking to get out of dangerous situations. Once they did reach freedom in Boston, Massachusetts, their troubles were not over. Slave hunters came all the way to Boston from Georgia to retrieve the Crafts and return them to their owners. The people of Boston became their protectors, refusing to let the slave hunters take their friends. The Crafts eventually moved to England to find true safety and peace. Many years later, the Crafts brought their family back to America and to the South to help educate former slaves and their children.

A wonderful story of strength and perseverance. Suitable, for young adults. Some descriptions of the brutality of slavery and punishments inflicted.

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