Running Away, Buying Freedom and Rebellions
5th Grade Informational Reading Texts
One common form of escaping slavery was to run away. Slaves used their dark complexion to their advantage and tried to escape at night. They used the thick forests of the south and their knowledge of natural navigation (like following stars) to help them find the way north. They were helped along the way by other colonists as well as free African men and women. These helpers gave runaways money or helped them hide out. This type of support system was later called the "Underground Railroad." (It was not underground and it was not a train or railway.)
The slave owners did not like it when slaves ran away. To lose a slave meant to lose a lot of money, so the slave owners worked really hard to keep this from happening. They would often send out search crews to bring back runaways, post reward notes, or search for missing slaves themselves. If runaway slaves were found and captured, they were often punished severely when they returned. They could be given more difficult work, put in chains, whipped, or they could be sold to another plantation away from their friends and family. Slaves knew this was a risk when they chose to run away.
Sometimes a slave was allowed to buy back their freedom. Remember, the slave owners paid a lot of money to "own" these people. The slaves also earned them a lot of money, so slave owners were not very likely to allow this to happen. However, on occasion, a slave was given this chance. The owners did not make it easy on slaves trying to buy their freedom though. Slaves did not make any personal money for their weekly work, so they would have to do extra chores to earn money. They were often underpaid for their efforts, but some very determined slaves were able to succeed at this.
One slave famous for doing this was named Venture Smith. Venture came to the colonies at the age of 6. He had been captured from his home in Africa and was brought to the colonies to be sold as a slave. He spent the next 30 years working as a slave in New England. In 1765, at the age of 36, Venture was able to buy his freedom. After he was free, he worked nonstop to buy the freedom of his wife and children. He eventually also paid for the freedom of several other African slaves.
Often enough, slaves felt like they had no other way out of slavery except to fight their way out. One example of this is the Stono Rebellion. This event happened on September 9, 1739. On that day, 20 black slaves met at a secret location near the Stono River in South Carolina. They planned to find a way to escape to freedom. Shortly after the meeting, they broke in to a local store, stole guns and powder, and killed the two workers there.
The 20 men started to march, and as they marched, other slaves joined them. This led to one of the largest slave uprisings in the colonies, though many more occurred after the Revolutionary War. By the time the slave owners caught up with these slaves, they confronted 60-100 angry men. Approximately 20 white colonists and about 40 slaves were killed in the battle. As a result, South Carolina's lawmakers created an even more restrictive slave code. The new codes limited the privileges of all slaves. They could no longer grow their own food. They were not allowed to meet in groups, earn money, or learn to read. Some of these codes had already existed, but after the Stono Rebellion, Southern leaders strictly enforced those laws.
Stono's Rebellion was not the only case of this kind of reaction to slavery. In fact, there are about 250 documented rebellions throughout the colonies. Some other good examples of this type of reaction are Vesey's Rebellion in 1822 and Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831.
The slave owners did not like it when slaves ran away. To lose a slave meant to lose a lot of money, so the slave owners worked really hard to keep this from happening. They would often send out search crews to bring back runaways, post reward notes, or search for missing slaves themselves. If runaway slaves were found and captured, they were often punished severely when they returned. They could be given more difficult work, put in chains, whipped, or they could be sold to another plantation away from their friends and family. Slaves knew this was a risk when they chose to run away.
Sometimes a slave was allowed to buy back their freedom. Remember, the slave owners paid a lot of money to "own" these people. The slaves also earned them a lot of money, so slave owners were not very likely to allow this to happen. However, on occasion, a slave was given this chance. The owners did not make it easy on slaves trying to buy their freedom though. Slaves did not make any personal money for their weekly work, so they would have to do extra chores to earn money. They were often underpaid for their efforts, but some very determined slaves were able to succeed at this.
One slave famous for doing this was named Venture Smith. Venture came to the colonies at the age of 6. He had been captured from his home in Africa and was brought to the colonies to be sold as a slave. He spent the next 30 years working as a slave in New England. In 1765, at the age of 36, Venture was able to buy his freedom. After he was free, he worked nonstop to buy the freedom of his wife and children. He eventually also paid for the freedom of several other African slaves.
Often enough, slaves felt like they had no other way out of slavery except to fight their way out. One example of this is the Stono Rebellion. This event happened on September 9, 1739. On that day, 20 black slaves met at a secret location near the Stono River in South Carolina. They planned to find a way to escape to freedom. Shortly after the meeting, they broke in to a local store, stole guns and powder, and killed the two workers there.
The 20 men started to march, and as they marched, other slaves joined them. This led to one of the largest slave uprisings in the colonies, though many more occurred after the Revolutionary War. By the time the slave owners caught up with these slaves, they confronted 60-100 angry men. Approximately 20 white colonists and about 40 slaves were killed in the battle. As a result, South Carolina's lawmakers created an even more restrictive slave code. The new codes limited the privileges of all slaves. They could no longer grow their own food. They were not allowed to meet in groups, earn money, or learn to read. Some of these codes had already existed, but after the Stono Rebellion, Southern leaders strictly enforced those laws.
Stono's Rebellion was not the only case of this kind of reaction to slavery. In fact, there are about 250 documented rebellions throughout the colonies. Some other good examples of this type of reaction are Vesey's Rebellion in 1822 and Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831.