Although slaveholders in 19th century America regularly claimed their “property” was content with living in bondage, attempted or successful escapes by slaves were fairly common, whether assisted by the Underground Railroad or taken on by individuals with little or no outside help.
The following collection presents twelve of the best-known and most dramatic escapes from slavery in the era preceding the American Civil War (1861-1865) which led to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment and the end of legalized slavery in the United States of America.
