American History Tellers - The Underground Railroad | The Light of Freedom | 1

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

In the early 1800s, slavery rapidly expanded across the American South. But each year, thousands of courageous enslaved men, women, and children fled their owners in search of freedom. And in Philadelphia, secret allies came to their aid. Quaker abolitionists collaborated with free Black people to bring the freedom seekers to safety. It was the start of the Underground Railroad, a clandestine network of activists, safe houses, and escape routes that would help tens of thousands of enslaved people flee bondage in the decades before the Civil War and challenge the very roots of American slavery.Listen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting https://wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. A listener note, this episode contains graphic descriptions of racial violence and may not be suitable for everyone. Imagine it's a cold night in February 1801. The moon hangs low in the sky as you trudge through the woods near Middleburg, Virginia. A few days ago, you slipped away from your plantation and headed toward Washington, where one of your cousins works as a free blacksmith. Your wife was recently sold away to a different owner, but you hope that you can get work and earn some money that you might be

able to buy her freedom. And despite your fear, that thought motivates your every step. You stop in your tracks, panic clawing at your chest. You set off at a sprint. The woods are a maze and branches tear at your clothes. Stop right there, boy. You skid to a halt as a posse of slave catchers emerges from the darkness and surrounds you. I'm a free man, I swear. One of the men steps forward and examines you with a mocking smile. Is that right? Then show us your papers. I lost them a while back, crossing the stream. Look, I'm just trying to get to Washington to see my cousin. He's a free man, too.

Man scoffs, his hand resting on the butt of the pistol at his side. You must think us fools, boy. I can see that scar above your eyebrow, just like the ad in the newspaper said. We know you ain't free. You're from the Seton Plantation. I swear, I don't know what you're talking about. You've got the wrong man. The other men close in, glowering. You search desperately for a way out. You better not try anything. If you do, we have the authority to shoot you dead. The man lifts his pistol and you throw your arms up. Tie him up. We'll make camp and take him back to his master in the morning.

Rough hands seize you and start binding your wrists with rope. Please don't do this. I just want to earn a little money. The man in charge laughs callously. You're in for it, boy. I wonder what old man Seton is going to do to you. He'll flog you for sure. Or will he cut off your fingers, your toes? Or will he sell you down the river so far away that you can't make any more trouble?

You stare down at your bindings, faced with the harsh truth that your desperate bid for freedom has failed. You know your captor is right. Your master won't just beat you. He'll surely sell you. And after everything you've gone through, you might never see your wife again. Killlist is a true story of how I ended up in a race against time to warn those whose lives were in danger. Follow Kill List wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to Kill List and more Exhibit C True Crime shows like Morbid early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. Now streaming. Welcome to Buy It Now, where aspiring entrepreneurs get 90 seconds to pitch to an audience of potential customers. If the audience liked the product, it gets them in front of our panel of experts. Gwyneth Paltrow. Anthony Anderson. Tabitha Brown. Tony Hawk.

Oh, my God. Buy it now. Stream free on Freeview and Prime Video. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers, our history, we'll take you to the events, the times, and the people that shaped America and Americans. Our values, our struggles, and our dreams. We'll put you in the shoes of everyday people as history was being made. And we'll show you how the events of the times affected them, their families, and affects you now. In the early 1800s, enslaved people who dared seek freedom faced tremendous danger, from hunger and harsh weather to the threat of being

recaptured by slave catchers. Those that were caught risked brutal beatings, separation from their loved ones, and even death. But as slavery tightened its grip on America in the decades before the Civil War, a vast, loosely organized network of black and white activists emerged to help enslaved people escape bondage. Known as the Underground Railroad, it became a lifeline for tens of thousands of people seeking their freedom. The Underground Railroad began with a handful of activists in Philadelphia at the turn of the 19th century, but it soon evolved into a sprawling web of safe houses and escape routes that stretched hundreds of miles from the border states to Canada.

It brought together thousands of everyday people, bound by the shared conviction that slavery was wrong and must be opposed with direct action. In an era when abolitionism was a minority view and slavery had the protection of the courts, Congress, and the Constitution, these activists defied federal law, risking their own freedom and lives in the pursuit of justice. But in the beginning, the Underground Railroad quietly took root in isolated and scattered efforts. Over time, it would become one of the most ambitious mass civil disobedience campaigns in American history, an epic saga of individual courage and collective resistance. This is Episode 1 in our four-part series, The Underground Railroad, The Light of Freedom.

In September 1769, a 35-year-old enslaved shoemaker named Sandy stole a white horse and galloped away from a hilltop plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia. His owner placed an ad in a local newspaper, offering a reward for Sandy's capture, calling him artful and knavish and greatly addicted to drink. Soon Sandy was caught and sold away for the price of 100 pounds sterling, twice the average annual salary of a white worker. Sandy's owner was none other than Thomas Jefferson. Seven years later, he would pen the Declaration of Independence, affirming that all men are created equal, and these words would define a new nation and the aspirations of millions of men and

women held in bondage. But at the time of the nation's founding, there were roughly 450,000 enslaved Americans, nearly 20% of the total population. Slavery had thrived on the American continent for nearly two centuries, but as long as slavery had existed, so had the desire for freedom. Because life in slavery was tightly controlled. Southern colonies passed harsh slave codes to limit the behaviors of their enslaved populations, and it was forbidden for enslaved people to learn to read, own firearms, or leave their plantations without permission.

Despite these restrictions and the constant threat of violence, enslaved people engaged in everyday acts of resistance. They slowed down their work, feigned illnesses, and destroyed tools and equipment. And every year, thousands made the bold decision to run away. Few of these runaways managed to get very far. The vast majority who fled were eventually captured, returned, and punished. During the American Revolution, as many as 100,000 enslaved people took advantage of the chaos of war to escape their owners. And after the war, the future of slavery was fiercely

debated. Northern states began adopting programs for gradual emancipation. Many Americans predicted that slavery would eventually wither away. Others hoped to eliminate the institution completely by abolishing slavery in the new U.S. Constitution. In 1787, slavery became a major point of contention at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Southerners wanted to count slaves as part of their population to increase their representation in Congress, while Northerners disagreed. In the end, the two sides compromised, deciding that each

enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a free person for the purposes of political representation. For all other purposes, they were not people at all. Debates also broke out over the Atlantic slave trade and the issue of runaway slaves. Ultimately, the framers of the Constitution decided to protect the slave trade by prohibiting Congress from outlawing the import of slaves for another 20 years. They also drafted a Fugitive Slave Clause, granting slave owners the right to capture runaways. These provisions ensured that slavery would continue in the new nation. Then, in February 1793, Congress gave teeth to the Fugitive Slave Clause by passing the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it a crime to help runaways and authorized slave owners to cross state lines to pursue their property.

Under the new law, fugitive slaves were not safe anywhere in the United States. And in practice, the Fugitive Slave Act left free black people vulnerable to being kidnapped and sold into slavery since the law permitted any white person to claim any black person as a fugitive slave and take them south. They simply needed to submit an affidavit claiming ownership to a judge. And because many states forbid black people from testifying in cases involving white people, kidnappers had a significant advantage. Then later, in 1793, a second event took place that would shape the future of American slavery. That October, Massachusetts inventor Eli Whitney finalized his plans for the cotton gin, a machine that separated seeds from cotton

fibers, making production more efficient and profitable. But planters still needed human labor to grow and pick the cotton, and as a result, the cotton gin fueled a sharp increase in the demand for enslaved labor, ensuring that slavery would only expand. And in the South, slavery was the backbone of an economy rooted in large commercial farms. But by the turn of the 19th century, the South and the North had grown farther apart on the issue of slavery. In the North, slavery was less widespread and less profitable, where the economy centered on small farms, manufacturing, and trade. And although racism and discrimination continued to flourish, most Northern states adopted gradual emancipation laws in the 1780s and 1790s.

So in northern cities, the population of free black people continued to grow. In Pennsylvania, more than any other state, slavery was fast disappearing. In 1780, Pennsylvania became the first state in the country to pass an abolition act, ending slavery through gradual emancipation. Rather than freeing all slaves immediately, gradual emancipation laws slowly phased out slavery by freeing the children of slaves after they reached a certain age. And although Pennsylvania's law did not apply to fugitive slaves, the state gained a reputation as a welcoming place for black Americans. In sharing a border with Maryland and Virginia, Pennsylvania became the natural destination for fugitive slaves from the South, and the city of Philadelphia became home to the largest free

Black community in America. And it was here in Philadelphia at the turn of the century that white abolitionist Isaac Hopper became a key player in the struggle over slavery. Hopper grew up on a New Jersey farm, and his opposition to slavery began at a young age. As a child, he was horrified when an elderly enslaved man recounted the harrowing memory of being kidnapped by slave traders in Africa. In 1787, then-16-year-old Hopper moved to Philadelphia to work as a tailor's apprentice. Soon after his arrival, he met an enslaved sailor named Joe who had escaped to the city. When Joe asked for Hopper's help in avoiding recapture, Hopper spoke to a neighbor. The neighbor gave him directions to a friendly Quaker in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Joe safely made his way there

and secured a job, and this experience taught Hopper that he could make a difference in the lives of fugitive slaves. In addition to mingling with enslaved and free Black people, Hopper also began socializing with Philadelphia's large Quaker community, and when he was 24, he joined a local Quaker sect. Opposition to slavery was a core Quaker principle, reflecting their belief in the inherent equality and worth of all human beings. Quakers themselves had experienced persecution, both in England and in the North American colonies. Though all Quakers opposed slavery, only a small minority were engaged in political activism. But few would consider turning in a fellow Quaker for breaking the law. Years of persecution had made Quakers naturally inclined to protect members

of their own community, and Quakers quickly became the first organized group in America to assist fugitive slaves. So in 1796, Hopper joined the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. It was the nation's first abolition organization and dominated by Quakers. As a member of the society, Hopper visited the homes of poor Black families to ask them about their needs. He taught classes to Black children and adults, and within a few years, he began actively aiding fugitive slaves and protecting free Black people from being kidnapped and sold into bondage. Imagine it's a hot summer day in 1806 in Philadelphia, and the midday sun is beating down on the Delaware River.

You're a leading member of the Pennsylvania Abolitionist Society, and this morning you've learned that a slave owner named Mr. Thomas has kidnapped a free black 16-year-old girl. You're furious. Thomas has no legal claim over this girl, and he didn't even attempt to prove his case before a magistrate, as required by the Fugitive Slave Act. You're determined to right this wrong. With a police officer at your side, you sailed out to a small island where Thomas has anchored his sleuth. As you moor your boat alongside it, a burly man on board steps out of the shadows and aims a pistol at your chest. Come any closer and I'll shoot.

You gesture toward the officer beside you. Thomas, I have an officer with me. A magistrate has granted us the authority to reclaim the girl on your vessel. We have evidence that she is free. Now, why don't you put your weapon down and let us come aboard? Thomas only tightens his grip on the pistol. You'd be wise to turn around. Now. Be reasonable.

There are probably a hundred people out on the wharf right now. If you pull that trigger, they'll bear witness to your crime. Are you willing to take that risk? Thomas hesitates, and you seize the moment. You lean over the edge of your boat and quickly grab his pistol. You wrestle it aside as Thomas struggles to maintain control. Don't you dare! Thomas clings to the weapon, pulling you onto his sloop, but as he stumbles backward, he loses his balance and lands on his back.

The weapon falls out of his grasp. You grab it and throw it overboard into the murky river. You're resisting the law, Mr. Thomas. Now where's the girl? As Thomas scrambles to his feet, panic flashes across his face as he finds himself without a weapon. She's not here, I swear. You look behind Thomas as another man emerges from the hold of the sloop. He grips an axe with a trembling hand. You think you can frighten me with that axe?

When your friend here couldn't even manage it with a gun? Put the axe down. The man lowers the axe, shrugging meekly at Thomas. You walk past him and peer down into the hole. A girl is huddled between two wooden barrels. She stares up at you with wide eyes. You throw your hand out to her and give her a reassuring nod. Come along now. We're safe.

The girl scrambles up the steps. You place a protective hand under her elbow, leading her back toward your boat. You can't do this. She's my property. You ignore Thomas's protests and help the girl climb over to your vessel where the police officer is waiting. She looks back at her captor one last time, her expression filled with triumph. In the summer of 1806, Isaac Hopper boarded a sloop anchored in the Delaware River to rescue a free black teenage girl from a kidnapper. Hopper was unwavering in his determination to help fugitive slaves and kidnapping victims. He hid fugitives in his riverfront home, orchestrated dramatic rescues, and leveraged an interracial network of collaborators

to discreetly transport fugitives to safety. He explained his commitment to the cause to a local magistrate, declaring, I would do for a fugitive slave whatever I would like to have done for myself under similar circumstances. If he asked for my protection, I would extend it to him. If he was hungry, I would feed him. If he was naked, I would clothe him. On one occasion, to protect a fugitive he was hiding, he hired a black man to serve as a decoy. That man ran out of the house after dark, leading pursuers away from the real fugitive who escaped out the back door to safety. Hopper then had his decoys' attackers arrested for assault. But Hopper preferred

to win fugitives' freedom in court, often through clever tactics and legal maneuvers. When a Virginia fugitive named Ben Jackson was caught by his former owner and jailed, Hopper had the constable on duty bring Jackson to court ahead of schedule. No one told Jackson's owner that the hearing had been rescheduled, and when he failed to appear, the judge declared Jackson a free man. Over time, Hopper and his collaborators effectively established the nation's first underground operation. They pioneered the technique of passing fugitives from one person to another among family, friends, and activists until they reached a permanent place of safety.

Through the efforts of Hopper, his fellow Quakers, and the local Black community, Philadelphia gained a reputation as a haven for fugitive slaves. Word spread south that the city was a place where fugitives could disappear into freedom. A frustrated slave owner complained, there's no use in trying to capture a runaway slave in Philadelphia. I believe the devil himself could not catch them. Still, in the early 1800s, no organized underground existed beyond the Philadelphia area, and slavery continued to expand its reach further south, carving a deep fault line all across America. Now streaming.

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Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. One day in 1805, a seven-year-old white boy named Levi Coffin was watching his father chop wood in front of their farm in North Carolina. He looked out on the road to see a long line of shackled enslaved men approaching. They were trudging south. In the early 1800s, the United States was extending its borders into new territories and states and expanding slavery along with it. Tens of thousands of enslaved people were forced to march

to new cotton plantations in the southwest. Shackled groups of black men and women became a familiar sight on southern roads. Young Levi Coffin had, of course, seen enslaved people before, but he had never seen men chained together. His father called out to the men, asking, Well, boys, why do they chain you? Levi never forgot one man's sad reply, They have taken us away from our wives and children, and they chain us lest we should make our escape and go back to them. Levi was at that moment struck by the terrible thought of being separated from his own family.

In another instance, Levi was at a blacksmith shop when he witnessed a white man fastening a chain around the neck of a runaway slave. The man attached the other end of the chain to his buggy and drove off, forcing the enslaved man to run at full speed behind him or risk being dragged. Levi was raised in a Quaker community in New Garden, North Carolina, surrounded by family and neighbors who opposed slavery. But it was these first-hand encounters that inspired his deep hatred of human bondage. In 1814, when he was just 15 years old, he helped found the North Carolina Manumission Society to push for gradual emancipation and legal reforms to end slavery. He also started feeding runaway slaves he encountered and offering them refuge on his family's farm. Four years later, in 1818, the Manumission Society merged with the American

Colonization Society. At the time, a growing number of white Americans supported colonization or the deportation of freed slaves to a colony in Africa. They saw it as a way to free slaves while avoiding the difficulties of creating a racially integrated society. But the majority of Black Americans rejected colonization, seeing it as a racist effort to avoid responsibility and addressing the root problems of slavery and racial inequality. For most Black Americans, the United States was the only home they'd ever known. To be forced to leave was unthinkable. In the previous year, 3,000 free Black men had gathered in a black Philadelphia church

to denounce colonization. They passed a resolution declaring their refusal to be banished from a country whose soil had been manured by the blood and sweat of their ancestors. Levi and his older cousin and mentor, Vestal Coffin, were disgusted by their society's embrace of colonization and rejected the idea that slaves should be forced to move to Africa as a condition of freedom. They quit the organization and were desperate to do more. Then in 1819, a free black man in New Garden, North Carolina, named John Dimery was kidnapped by the sons of his former owner. Dimery's daughter went to Vestal Coffin for help.

Vestal helped Dimery escape and arranged for him to travel to the Free State of Indiana. Vestal's aid to Dimery was the first known case of an activist spiriting a former slave to the Free North. For activists like the Coffins, the problem of slavery was becoming even more urgent. In 1819, conflict flared in Congress when Missouri sought admission to the Union as a slave state, threatening to upset the delicate balance of power between free and slave states. To maintain that balance, Congress brokered the Missouri Compromise, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. In addition, legislators drew a horizontal line across the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Slavery was forbidden north of the 36

degree 30 minute parallel and permitted below it. But the compromise did not resolve the slavery issue. It merely postponed it. While many Americans sensed that the North and South were growing further and further apart, abolitionists mourned the failure to stop the expansion of slavery to the West. One Quaker editor warned, Hell is about to enlarge her borders and tyranny her domain. It was becoming clear that it was going to take decisive action to fight the continuation and expansion of slavery. So in 1820, the Coffins began to deliberately seek out fugitive slaves and hide them in the thick undergrowth behind their farm in North Carolina. Enslaved people, like those the coffins helped, ran away from their owners for

a variety of reasons. Some fled brutal physical punishment while others sought to collect a salary for their labor, and some were desperate to avoid being sold away from family and friends. Separation was a common occurrence for enslaved people, and many escaped in hopes of reuniting with loved ones who had been taken away from them. But running away was incredibly dangerous. Since the early 1700s, communities across the South had organized slave patrols to police their enslaved populations. These malicious-style groups were tasked with enforcing slave codes, preventing slave rebellions, and capturing and returning runaway slaves. Patrollers were typically authorized to enter any property,

search any home, and shoot any black person who did not surrender when ordered. The threat of these slave patrols was all too real for the people the Coffins sheltered. While hiding behind the Coffins farm, fugitive slaves could sometimes hear the conversations of passing patrols, confronting them with the terrifying prospect of recapture. In 1821, a free black man named Jack Barnes arrived in New Garden from eastern North Carolina. Barnes had recently been freed upon the death of his owner, but his owner's heirs refused to honor the will and seized

him. Barnes then fled to New Garden because he'd heard it was home to many anti-slavery Quakers. But before long, advertisements for his capture began appearing in local newspapers, and Barnes asked the Coffins to help him travel to a free state. Levi and Vestal devised a plan. At the time, many Quaker farmers were moving to Indiana to avoid having to compete with slave owners who did not have to pay for the labor that sustained their farms. So the Coffins arranged to send Barnes to Indiana with their cousin Bethuel. Meanwhile, another fugitive was hiding on the grounds of the Coffin farm after fleeing a cruel owner named Osborne. When Osborne heard

that a black man had left for Indiana with Bethuel, he set off in pursuit, assuming the black man was his own slave. Levi knew that when Osborne caught up with Bethuel, he would realize the black man accompanying him was not his own slave. But Levi feared Osborne might recognize Jack Barnes from the descriptions of him in recent newspaper ads and might attempt to capture him anyway. So Levi galloped off to warn Bethuel. Traveling on the same route, he ran into Osborne himself. Osborne asked Coffin to join him and help catch his slave,

and Levi agreed, acting the part of Osborne's friend. The pair continued on their journey to catch up with Bethuel. Levi suggested that they stop in a tavern for the night, not telling Osborne that he knew the owner of the tavern was a local magistrate who opposed slavery. Levi took the magistrate aside and explained the predicament. The magistrate then agreed to help and assemble a band of armed men to prevent Osborne from apprehending Jack Barnes. The next morning, the group set out and overtook Bethuel and Barnes. Osborne grudgingly admitted that Barnes was not his man, leaving Barnes free to continue traveling northwest to eventual safety in Indiana. Levi returned to New Garden, having discovered a talent for

subterfuge and for gaining the trust of strangers. Underneath his sober Quaker exterior, Levi was bold, resourceful, and adventurous, and these skills would prove crucial as he continued his work helping fugitive slaves, including on his next task, helping the man that Osborne was still hunting and still hiding on Levi's farm. Levi made arrangements for the man named Sam to travel west with another Quaker family bound for Indiana. This time, the plan was to have Sam travel on foot at night behind the White family.

Each morning, he would catch up with them at their campsite to secure food. But one night, as Sam was traveling through southwestern Virginia, he encountered a pack of wolves. Seized by panic, he lost his way in the darkness. Imagine it's late at night in October 1821 in Witt County, Virginia. You're stumbling through the underbrush of a dense forest. It's been several weeks since you escaped your owner in North Carolina, but tonight has been the low point of your journey to Indiana. After fleeing a pack of wolves, you've lost sight of the main road, and you're terrified. But suddenly, you spot a flickering light through the trees.

As you move closer, you realize it's coming from the window of a small, dilapidated cabin. Your heart is pounding in your chest as you approach the weathered front door. You pray that whoever is inside, they might help you. A thin white man with greasy hair opens the door and looks at you expectantly. Please, sir. Can you tell me the way to the main road? The man smiles. Why don't you come in?

Warm yourself by the fire for a moment. Thank you, sir. You step into the dimly lit cabin and notice a young boy in a patched shirt sitting by the hearth. Son, why don't you go fetch Jimmy? He can accompany our guest to the main road. The boy nods and runs out the door. His father gestures for you to take a seat. I appreciate it, sir. Jimmy's our neighbor. These woods are a maze, even in the daylight. But he knows them like the back of his hand. He'll show you the way. Now how about some bread? You must be hungry. He grabs a heel of brown bread from the table and hands it to you. I am grateful to you, sir. You break off a piece and nervously take a bite,

trying to think of a way to explain how you came to be in these woods. I belong to a family moving to Tennessee. They're camping just a few miles ahead. They sent me back to look for something they left behind and I got lost. Don't worry. We'll set you right. The man stares at you, his face impassive. You take another bite of bread. The door of the cabin swings open. The boy is back, but two men follow in his wake, closing the door behind them. Your stomach drops as you spot what

the men are carrying, a knife and a rope. You scan the room, desperately searching for an exit, but the cabin only has one door, and the men are blocking it. You're trapped. The greasy-haired man bends down to look you in the eye. You're a runaway slave. I'm not, sir. I swear, I'm not. I'm just looking for the road back to my owners. The man grabs your wrists and yanks them behind your chair. Give me the rope. Please don't

do this. The rope burns as the man tightens the knot around your wrists. We'll take him to town tomorrow. We're going to be in for a big reward, boys. The man exchange grins and anger flares within you. You're furious that you had no choice but to throw yourself at the mercy of these white strangers and that they see you not as a man in need, but as a means to an easy buck. When Sam stopped to ask a poor white man for help, the stranger sent a boy running for the neighbors. When they arrived, the men immediately took Sam for a runaway and tied him up. He was placed in a local jail where his owner, Osborne, soon arrived to reclaim him. Levi Coffin never saw Sam again, believing that Osborne whipped him to death for running away.

The ways in which Levi sought to help men like Jack Barnes and Sam revealed the possibilities and limitations of the budding Underground Railroad. Levi's efforts were improvised and experimental. There were no designated routes or networks to help fugitives. Finding other white people willing to help was a matter of luck, and no matter which path they took, freedom seekers faced immense danger. And within a few years, Levi grew fed up with living in North Carolina, a slave state. In 1826, he set off for Newport, Indiana. And there, he would soon begin sheltering fugitive slaves,

establishing what would one day become one of the most important hubs of the Underground Railroad. But for the time being, black people fleeing captivity were left to cross hostile landscapes with little to depend on besides their own initiative and courage. Barbie movie today. Who created that bottle of red Sriracha with a green top that's permanently living in your fridge? Did you know that the Air Jordans were initially banned by the NBA? We'll explore all that and more in The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy. This is Nick. This is Jack. And we've covered over a thousand episodes of pop business news stories on our daily podcast. We've identified the most viral products of all time and their wild origin stories that you had no idea about. From the Levi's 501 jeans to Legos. Come for the

products you're obsessed with. Stay for the business insights that are going to blow up your group chat. Jack, Nintendo, Super Mario Brothers, best-selling video game of all time, how'd they do it? Nintendo never fires anyone, ever. Follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. In November 1991, media tycoon Robert Maxwell mysteriously vanished from his luxury yacht in the Canary Islands. But it wasn't just his body that would come to the surface in the days that followed. It soon emerged that Robert's business was on the brink of collapse, and behind his facade of wealth and success was a litany of bad investments,

mounting debt, and multi-million dollar fraud. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondery Show Business Movers. We tell the true stories of business leaders who risked it all, the critical moments that defined their journey, and the ideas that transformed the way we live our lives. In our latest series, a young refugee fleeing the Nazis arrives in Britain determined to make something of his life. Taking the name Robert Maxwell, he builds a publishing and newspaper empire that spans the globe. But ambition eventually curdles into desperation, and Robert's determination to succeed turns into a willingness to do anything

to get ahead. Follow Business Movers wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. Josiah Hansen was born enslaved on a Maryland farm in 1789. When he was six years old, his father came home with a severed ear. A white overseer had assaulted his mother, and his father came to her defense and struck the overseer. As punishment, his father was whipped fifty times. Then his ear was nailed to a post and sliced off in front of a cheering crowd. He was sold south soon after, and Henson never saw his father again. Despite this early trauma and a severe childhood illness, Henson

went on to grow into a strong and intelligent young man. He was his owner Isaac Riley's most prized slave. At age 18, Henson joined the Methodist Church after hearing a sermon. Like many enslaved people, he was drawn to the message that Christ's salvation applied to everyone. He eventually became an overseer himself, responsible for supervising fellow slaves and doling out punishments. Because of his position, he believed he had a better lot than most enslaved people. But then in February 1825, his owner Isaac Riley's finances took a turn for the worse. In response, Riley ordered Henson to transport many of his slaves to his brother Amos' plantation

in Kentucky to keep them away from creditors. So Henson set off with 18 men and women in his charge, as well as his wife Charlotte and their two children. After traveling across Virginia, the group sailed down the Ohio River, past the shores of Ohio, a free state. In Cincinnati, crowds of black people called out from the shoreline, telling them that they were fools for going on to Kentucky. They urged Henson's party to stay in Ohio, where they could be free. Henson hesitated, but then he pushed onward. He had felt that he had given

his owner his word. Then, in April 1825, the group finally arrived at Amos Riley's Kentucky plantation, and Henson was appointed manager. Over the next three years, his religious faith continued to deepen, and he became a preacher in the Methodist church. But in September 1828, Henson learned that Isaac Riley planned to sell the laborers he had brought to Kentucky. Henson knew that meant families would be separated and sold away, forced to toil in the brutal cotton plantations of the Deep South. As a result, Henson was consumed by guilt over his decision to leave Cincinnati three years earlier, a choice that condemned 18 people to remain enslaved. He later reflected, my eyes were opened. From that hour, I saw through, hated,

and cursed the whole system of slavery. One absorbing purpose occupied my soul, to gain freedom. Henson received permission to travel to Maryland, where he hoped to purchase his freedom from Isaac Riley. He stopped in Ohio on the way and spent the next three months preaching in abolitionist churches and gathering donations. When he reached Maryland, he began negotiations with his owner. And in March 1829, Riley agreed to give Henson manumission papers for $450. Henson gave Riley $350 in cash as a down payment and then signed a promissory note for the remaining $100. Riley put Henson's manumission papers under seal for his brother Amos to open, and Henson was thrilled. He packed his bags and set off, believing that freedom was finally in his grasp.

Imagine it's the spring of 1829, and you're in your cabin on the Amos Riley Plantation in Davis County, Kentucky. It's late at night, and your children have already gone to sleep. Your wife Charlotte is dishing out dinner onto a chip plate. You breathe in the warm scent of sweet potatoes and ham. The home-cooked meal is a welcome change after a long journey from Maryland. Thank you, dear. You're not gonna believe my good news. I talked with Isaac Riley. We've settled on a price for my freedom. Flickering candlelight casts shadows on Charlotte's weary face. So I've heard. The news traveled ahead of you. Where did you get the money? Tell me the truth.

I earned it, Charlotte. Preaching the Lord's word. She raised eyebrow. You're telling me that people paid you money to hear you talk? They did. Plenty of folks in Ohio are interested in what a slave has to say. If you say so. And how do you expect to raise the rest of the money now that you're back in Kentucky?

You've got a long way to go. A thousand dollars is no small thing. You drop your fork in surprise. A knot of unease growing in your stomach. What do you mean, a thousand dollars? I've paid everything except the hundred dollar promissory note. That's what Amos Riley said. He said you gave his brother three hundred and fifty dollars. except the $100 promissory note. That's what Amos Riley said.

He said you gave his brother $350, and once you've paid another $650, you'll have your freedom. $650? But that's not what we agreed to. I gave Isaac Riley $350, and he promised me that all I had to do was raise another $100. A cold shiver runs down your spine.

Charlotte's eyes soften. It sounds like Riley played you, honey. How could he? We had an agreement. After everything I've done for that man. After everything you've done? He's not about to let you go that easy. But there's no way I can make $650. And now he has the rest of my savings. Every single penny. As the truth of Riley's cruel trick sinks in, you scratch the scar on your head from a beating he gave you when he found you with a spelling book when you were 13. It feels like the walls of the room are closing in on you, and you've never felt so trapped. When Henson reunited with his wife Charlotte, he learned that Isaac Riley had deceived him about the purchase price. Soon after, he

discovered that the Rileys planned to sell him. Henson was horrified by his owner's betrayal. He realized that despite his overseer position, he was still vulnerable to the fundamental insecurity and cruelty of a life in slavery, and he then persuaded his terrified wife to flee north with their four sons. Henson and his family faced unlikely odds. They would have to navigate unfamiliar territory with no maps or road signs. There was nothing to guide them to freedom but the light of the North Star. In addition, the most successful runaways were typically young men traveling alone or in pairs, not families of six. Beyond the threat of capture, runaways faced hunger and ran the risk of injury and illness. And even when

freedom seekers made it to the North, they were still not safe. The Fugitive Slave Act gave slave owners the power to have a runaway slave arrested in any state and return to the South. So to avoid recapture, Henson and his family would have to make it all the way to Canada. There, slavery was not yet illegal, but a 1793 law made it so that any U.S. slave who set foot in Canada was immediately free. Henson and his family made furtive plans. And in September 1830, Henson took a risk, buying a pair of pistols from a poor white man. Then he and his family set off for Canada under the cover of darkness. The Riley Plantation was close to the Ohio River, and Henson arranged for a fellow slave to row his family across the river to Indiana.

In the middle of the journey, the boatman whispered to Henson, It'll be the end of me if this is ever found out, but you won't be brought back alive, will you? And Henson replied, Not if I can help it. The family arrived in Indiana without incident, but they were still alone with no friends to turn to. They headed east toward Cincinnati, traveling at night and resting during the day. Henson carried his two youngest sons in a knapsack on his back. He would later write, My limbs were weary, and my back and shoulders raw with the burden I carried. A fearful dread of detection ever pursued me,

and I would start out of my sleep in terror, my heart beating against my ribs, expecting to find the dogs and slave hunters after me. Henson had good reason for this fear. Professional slave hunters operated throughout the South and the North, and Henson knew he could trust no one, even when things grew desperate. After twelve days of walking, the family ran out of food. The boys cried out in hunger, and Henson was forced to take the risk of stopping at a cabin to beg for food. A white woman reluctantly gave him some venison and bread. The Hensons continued on their journey, but outside Cincinnati, they became lost.

They were saved by a chance encounter with friendly Native Americans who provided them with a meal. Then from Cincinnati, the Hensons continued on to Lake Erie, where a Scottish boat captain gave them passage to Buffalo, New York. There, in another stroke of luck, the captain offered to secure passage for them to travel across the Niagara River to Canada. It was then, on the morning of October 28, 1830, that Henson and his family stepped foot on Canadian soil. After a 600-mile journey, he and his family were finally free, and he threw himself to the ground in celebration. He promised the captain, I will use my freedom well.

And in the years to come, Henson would work to fulfill that promise for himself and fellow freedom seekers. But for now, with the Underground Railroad in its infancy, runaways had to be self-reliant in making their way north. And soon, the bloodiest slave revolt the nation had ever seen would send shockwaves across the South. In its aftermath, it would only become more difficult and dangerous to escape bondage. From Wondery, this is Episode 1 of our four-part series, The Underground Railroad, from American History Tellers.

On the next episode, enslaved preacher Nat Turner launches a violent uprising in Southampton, Virginia, resulting in the deaths of nearly 60 white people. And abolitionist fervor gains momentum in the 1830s as a growing number of black and white activists step up their demands for the immediate end of slavery. If you like American History Tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship.

Audio editing by Christian Paraga. Sound design by Molly Bach. Music by Lindsey Graham. Voice acting by Ace Anderson and Cat Peoples. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton. Edited by Dorian Marina. Produced by Alita Rozanski. Coordinating producer is Desi Blaylock.

Managing Producer Matt Gant. Senior Managing Producer Ryan Moore. Senior Producer Andy Herman. And Executive Producers Janie Lauer-Beckman and Marshall Louis for Wondery. Dracula. The ancient vampire who terrorizes Victorian London. Blood To be continued... wonderful snapshot of the 19th century, but it also has so much resonance today. The vampire doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror. So when we look in the mirror,

the only thing we see is our own monstrous abilities. From the host and producer of American History Tellers and History Daily comes the new podcast, The Real History of Dracula. We'll reveal how author Bram Stoker raided ancient folklore, exploited Victorian fears around sex, science, and religion, and how even today we remain enthralled to his strange creatures of the night. You can binge all episodes of The Real History of Dracula exclusively with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus and The Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.