Read Online Bound for Canaan The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad America First Civil Rights Movement Fergus M Bordewich 9780060524319 Books

Product details Paperback 592 pages Publisher Amistad; Reprint edition (January 10, 2006) Language English ISBN-10 0060524316

Bound for Canaan The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad America First Civil Rights Movement Fergus M Bordewich 9780060524319 Books Reviews

• I don’t recall when I decided to add this book to my wish list on , but I received it as a Christmas present. Beginning in February I opened it and begin to read. Though coincidental, it was a great read for “Black History Month”.
  So much of the history, geography and narrative of this book were unknown to me that at times I struggled to keep focused on the message of the book. I found it confusing as I reviewed the countless names, places and events. But what I will take with me is noted below.
  1. God Bless the Quakers. Their resistance to the mores of the South and their active participation in the movement of slaves from bondage to freedom from 1800 through the Civil War is remarkable.
  2. There are heroes that seemed to sacrifice all and take huge personal risks to return again and again to the border states and shuttle slaves to freedom. Some, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were familiar. Others such as Josiah Henson and Herny Bibb were new. Their stories are all inspirational.
  3. The success of the Railroad owes much to the ingenuity, risk-taking and genius of the blacks. One advantage the blacks enjoyed was the stupid prejudice of the whites in thinking the black race so inferior as to not credit them with the initiative and wherewithal to organize, plan, finance and achieve success in moving people from slavery to freedom.
  4. Canada, oh Canada. Canada was the land of the free and home of the brave long before the U.S. The ultimate goal of many former slaves was to arrive safely in the land where “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.” Micah 44
  5. Sometimes rivalry amongst the forces destroyed the good of both camps. Such was the case of Henry Bibb and Mary Ann Shadd. Instead of cooperation, they sunk into bitter rivalry and neutralized or even destroyed the good of one another. Bordewich points out that some of the principles dividing these early abolitionists continue to echo down through time to today.
  6. The story of John Brown is well-known today, but the details contained in this book are very illuminating. I did not realize that Brown had recruited and conversed with a virtual “Whose Who” of the abolitionist movement of his time in preparation for his taking of Harper’s Ferry. He truly lit the fuse leading to the final scenes in the opening of the Civil War.
  I am glad that I read this book for the following reasons
  -I had little understanding of the key figures in the liberation of slaves from 1800 – 1860. Now I have a reference that I can refer back to as my understanding deepens about the forces leading to the Civil War.
  -This book caused me to think about civil law verses natural or higher law. The movement of thousands of slaves from the South and border states to the North and Canada was the largest collective act of civil disobedience in our nation’s history. What is my stance regarding civil disobedience? What is my response with I am compelled to do something that violates my sense of duty or fairness?
  -Words matter. The rhetoric of politics at this time (during the election of 2016) are so strident and hateful that I wonder if we have come all that far. While I am tired of the “P.C. Police” demanding proper phrasing of every word, I am shocked at those who support the hateful and ugly rhetoric of Donald Trump. Do we have the capacity to support one who would turn the clock back so far?
• Fergus Bordewich has written an immensely readable and gripping history of the underground railroad, bringing to life the most famous of its "conductors" and many of its unsung heroes as well. This book made me realize how little I knew about the railroad and the years before the Civil War. "In an age when self-interest has been elevated in our culture to a public and political virtue," Bordewich writes in the Feb. 2, 2007 issue of the New York Times, "the Underground Railroad still has something to teach that every individual, no matter how humble, can make a difference in the world, and that the importance of one’s life lies not in money or celebrity, but in doing the right thing, even in silence or secrecy, and without reward." After reading this book, I couldn't agree more.
• Well written, easy to read, coherent story of the underground railroad. The only gripe I'd have with this book is that the author probably takes some liberties in describing the emotions or possible actions of actors where they aren't clear from primary sources but the language he uses almost always makes it clear where speculation exists.
  
  The author does an,excellent job of weaving the overall story around the lives of several frequently recurring individual making the themes apparent through anecdotes involving the main players.
  
  Worth reading.
• Bound for Canaan is a remarkable history of the Underground Railroad. Those involved in the railroad tended not to keep written records of their activities, but the author does an excellent job of collecting the available material. Although the book is well-written, I don't consider it to be easy reading. For one thing the book is long--as mentioned, the author did his research. In some cases, the individuals are hard to follow. The story is generally told by chronology and themes--a person might appear in one chapter, disappear for a while in the narrative, and then reappear later. I sometimes had trouble remembering where I had heard that name before. As one might suspect at the outset, a book dealing with slavery is not dealing with a pleasant subject.
  
  The book is a very significant. As the author notes, with the exception of Harriet Tubman, those involved with the Underground Railroad are largely unknown today. This book recognizes the accomplishments of many of these heroes. both black and white. I mentioned above that it was sometimes difficult to remember where a name came up before. I think some of this was because I hadn't heard the name before reading this book. As a teacher, I also was impressed with the value the ex-slaves placed upon educating themselves and their children. We too often take our freedoms and ability to acquire education for granted--these people valued both.
• My wife ordered this book for me for xmas last year. It was exactly what I wanted and it was a great read. Much, much more information about the Underground Railroad than I learned about in school, with so many people willing to sacrifice so much to provide freedom for so many. I can highly recommend the author, this book, and his other books.
• Excellent, well researched and documented. Very interesting to understand the major impact of “independently” organized escape routes for black slaves from the south to safe locations in northern states and Canada. Citizens who assisted the escape of slaves often became targets themselves as attacks on individuals and families found to help with escapes also had consequences. Yet, they held to their beliefs and found ways to continue to support the end of slavery in many different ways. The Underground Railroad was a significant part of our history and deserves to be well known to all current citizens.