Ann Fights for Freedom Read online

  “How did he know we were here?” Ann asked.

  Melvin winked. “I sent a message from town.”

  Ann realized Melvin must have done this when he bought the cookies. She smiled at him.

  “All right,” said Melvin. “Climb back in. I’m going to take you to Philadelphia.”

  “What’s in Philadelphia?” asked Ann.

  “People who will help you get used to your freedom,” he said.

  * * *

  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  Friday, November 24, 1854

  After midnight

  By the time they got to Philadelphia, it was the middle of the night. Melvin led them to a large house. Ann could hear people talking and laughing inside. Melvin knocked on the door.

  A woman who reminded Ann of a younger version of Granny answered. “Welcome. I’m Gloria,” she said. She led them through the hall. “It’s a busy night. Another man just got here too.”

  They followed Gloria into a bright kitchen. A man sat at the table with his back to them. He was slumped over his food, eating like he was starving and exhausted at the same time.

  Delicious smells of yams and ham filled Ann’s nose. She thought about the pigs and their slops. This time she’d be eating her own food as a free girl.

  Gloria motioned to the table. “Go ahead and sit down,” she said. “I’ll fix you some plates.”

  Paul was the first one at the table. He plopped down next to the man. “Hello,” he said to the man.

  The man’s head snapped up. “Paul?”

  “Daddy!” yelled Paul.

  Paul jumped up so fast he knocked his chair over. Ann and Mama rushed over, and they all stood in the middle of the kitchen with their arms wrapped around each other. Mama laughed and cried and rubbed Daddy’s back. Ann breathed in the comforting smell of dirt and Daddy’s sweat.

  Daddy asked, “How did you get here?”

  Mama said, “We had our own conductor.” She winked at Ann and smiled.

  Daddy squeezed Ann so hard her feet left the floor. “I knew I could count on you.”

  “I remembered to be brave,” said Ann. “Looks like you did too, Daddy.”

  They all laughed and sat down to eat their first meal together as a free family. Now Ann didn’t have to imagine eating at a real table together. And she didn’t have to worry about getting sold. She watched Mama, who told Daddy all about their journey. It was more talking than Mama had done in two months.

  As she watched her reunited family, Ann knew everything would be all right. Anyone who had survived slavery and a journey on the Underground Railroad could certainly figure out freedom.

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  The institution of slavery was one of the most shameful practices in history. In the United States, millions of Africans and African Americans were enslaved over a period of more than two hundred years. Even the very young and old were forced into slavery.

  Enslaved people worked long and difficult hours six to seven days a week for no money, little food, and poor living conditions. In addition to this, enslaved people were often beaten and otherwise cruelly treated. People were considered property and were bought and sold. Often families were separated and sold to different owners.

  It’s no wonder enslaved people found ways to escape. One such way became known as the Underground Railroad. The name is misleading. As Ann says, it wasn’t under the ground and it had nothing to do with trains.

  Slaves used the word underground because it could not be seen. The routes, paths, and “stations” were kept secret to avoid getting caught. Railroad refers to the fact that a route was followed with stops along the way, just like a train.

  The Underground Railroad helped enslaved people run away from “slave states” in the South, where slavery was allowed. Their destination was “free states” in the North, where slavery was not legal. In most instances, even those in charge of the stations did not know the entire route. This ensured that if a station was discovered or if people were caught, no one would be able to give away the rest of the stations or put other people in danger. The high level of secrecy and organization is part of what made it so successful.

  The conductors were the people who led runaways to the North and kept them safe. The most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. There are disagreements about how many enslaved people she helped become free, but some say she helped as many as 300 people. She risked her life at least nineteen times, returning to the South to rescue enslaved people and lead them to the North.

  Harriet Tubman was born in Maryland in 1820 and lived her life there as a slave until she ran away in 1849. Most of her trips on the Underground Railroad were between Maryland and as far north as Canada.

  Although Harriet Tubman’s own escape route is unknown, experts believe she traveled along the Choptank River and through Delaware to Pennsylvania.

  The routes she used are some of the best documented, and there is now a Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Maryland. The Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway and Visitor Center are part of the National Historic Park in Maryland. These are some of the reasons I chose to start Ann’s journey there.

  Although the Underground Railroad was highly organized, it was both formal and informal. Some runaways had a conductor. Others left with no conductor and no knowledge of where the stations were. They followed the North Star and other clues on their journey. They were part of the Underground Railroad too.

  Whether there was a conductor or not, the trip was challenging and dangerous. People travelled at night through unfamiliar territory with no roads. They often left on a Saturday night, because if they had Sunday off, no one would miss them until Monday. Ads and wanted signs for runaways could not be placed over the weekend. This gave them a head start. Runaways were hunted by slave catchers and patrollers (pattyrollers) who were willing to hurt them. If they were caught and returned to their “owners,” they were severely punished.

  The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required that even former slaves who made it to a free state had to be returned if caught. The story Ann Fights for Freedom takes place in 1854, during the time of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and The Fugitive Slave Act. Even though it isn’t a true story, many of the things that happened to Ann and her family happened to real people.

  When I wrote this story I had three goals. I wanted to tell a realistic and accurate story, yet still write a book that children could enjoy. I wanted to show many different kinds of people working together to lead enslaved people to freedom and to fight for equality. My third goal was to write a suspenseful story about a girl who didn’t give up and led her family to freedom.

  I hope this story makes you hold your breath and cross your fingers for Ann. I also hope you learn a bit about history. Maybe you will work with others to fight for what you think is right. Maybe YOU will be an everyday hero too.

  MAKING CONNECTIONS

  List three character traits that Ann possesses. Then choose one and write a paragraph that includes examples of how Ann shows this trait in the story.

  The climax of a book is when the tension or action reaches its highest point. What scene do you think is the climax of this book? Explain your answer.

  Baby Elizabeth will not remember her family’s journey north. Pretend you are Ann and write her a letter telling her about it.

  GLOSSARY

  ashcake (ASH-kayk)—

  cake made out of cornmeal that is cooked in hot ashes

  conductor (kuhn-DUHK-tur)—

  people who guided runaway slaves and led them to the free states in the North

  embers (EM-burz)—

  hot, glowing remains of a fire

  grits (GRITS)—

  coarsely ground grain, especially white corn, boiled and eaten as a cereal or side dish
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  hog jowls (HOG JOULS)—

  a cured and smoked cut of meat from the cheeks of a hog

  Mason-Dixon Line (MAY-suhn DIK-suhn LINE)—

  boundary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland; was in part boundary between free and slave states

  mouth harp (MOUTH HARP)—

  an instrument consisting of a flexible metal or bamboo tongue or reed attached to a frame

  overseer (OH-ver-see-er)—

  person who directed the daily work of slaves

  rations (RASH-uhns)—

  limited amounts or shares, especially of food

  slavery (SLAY-vuh-ree)—

  the practice of owning people and thinking of them as property

  Underground Railroad (UHN-dur-ground RAYL-rohd)—

  a network of people who secretly helped slaves from the South escape to free states in the North or to Canada before the American Civil War

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Nikki Shannon Smith is from Oakland, California, but she now lives in the Central Valley with her husband and two children. She has worked in elementary education for more than 25 years, and writes everything from picture books to young adult novels. When she’s not busy with family, work, or writing, she loves to visit the coast. The first thing she packs in her suitcase is always a book.

  Girls Survive is published by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.mycapstone.com

  Copyright © 2019 Stone Arch Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-7853-2 (library binding)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-8013-9 (paperback)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-7858-7 (eBook PDF)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-8196-9 (eBook)

  Summary: Twelve-year-old Ann understands there is only one thing to be grateful for as a slave: having her family together. But when the master falls into debt, he plans to sell Ann and her younger brother. Ann is convinced her family must run away on the Underground Railroad. Will Ann’s family survive the dangerous trip and make it to freedom?

  Designers: Heidi Thompson and Charmaine Whitman

  Image credits:

  Max Lashcheuski, Design Element

  AFBPhotography: Alan Bradley, (image)

  Capstone: Eric Gohl, (map image)

  Shutterstock: ekler (inset image)