XX. Examples of Underground Railroad Work
“The Great Escape From Slavery of Ellen and William Craft”
This short chapter (XX) of North Carolina’s first official Black history textbook (1894), which contains no revisions to the original text of the 1891 edition, focuses exclusively on “The Great Escape From Slavery of Ellen and William Craft” — which Marian Smith Holmes covered in more detail in Smithsonian Magazine (2010). For comparison, I asked ChatGBT to write their story. Here’s the response I got:
William and Ellen Craft were slaves in Georgia in the mid-19th century. They were both light-skinned, with Ellen passing as a white woman. In December 1848, they devised a plan to escape slavery by posing as a white master and his enslaved servant.
They traveled by train and steamship to Philadelphia, where they were aided by members of the Underground Railroad. They then traveled to Boston, where they were welcomed as free people.
Their escape was widely publicized, and their story became an inspiration to other enslaved people seeking freedom. They also published a book about their experiences, “Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom,” which helped to raise awareness about the plight of enslaved people and the Underground Railroad.
After their escape, the Crafts worked to abolish slavery and supported the Union cause during the Civil War. They eventually moved to England, where they lived for the rest of their lives.
The Crafts’ daring escape from slavery was a significant event in the history of the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement. Their story continues to be remembered and celebrated as an example of courage and determination in the face of oppression.
Revised under the supervision of a former Confederate and distant cousin from Catawba (Old Lincoln) County, the textbook was written by “a Black lawyer and political figure from North Carolina” who later became “the first Black person to be elected to the New York State Assembly,” ChatGBT responds correctly when I asked it for his biography.
But then “the best and the brightest” of our modern AI goes off the rails and has him “representing the 31st District in New York City” for “three years, from 1884 to 1887” instead of the 19th district in 1918 and doesn’t even mention the textbook he originally published in 1891 and revised for use in our public schools while still living in North Carolina.
ChatGBT is unable to write a biography of my Confederate cousin or the fugitives from slavery in our home county of Catawba (Old Lincoln), some of whom Cousin Sydney may have known by name. So, please take a few minutes to read about Dave, Molly, Bob, Stephen, Sherod, Sam, and John (1802–1864), courtesy of the Catawba County Truth & Reconciliation Commitee.
Contents (Revised 1894):
Preface.
I. Introduction. — A shared commitment to debunking the “Curse of Ham” with a few bridges too far to cross.
II. General View of Slavery in the World. — a whole new chapter for the 1894 edition, and it’s a doozey!
III. Beginning of Slavery in the Colonies.
…
XVI. Frederick Douglass. — “̶H̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶q̶u̶o̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶e̶s̶m̶a̶n̶.̶”̶
…
XX. Examples of Underground Railroad Work. (this post)
XXI. The Slave Population of 1860.
XXII. The Civil War T̶h̶e̶ ̶W̶a̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶e̶b̶e̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶ — what’s in a name?
…
X̶X̶X̶I̶V̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶F̶r̶e̶e̶ ̶P̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶C̶o̶l̶o̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶N̶o̶r̶t̶h̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶o̶l̶i̶n̶a̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶e̶v̶.̶ ̶J̶o̶h̶n̶ ̶S̶[̶i̶n̶c̶l̶a̶i̶r̶]̶ ̶L̶e̶a̶r̶y̶ — Hmmm, a deleted chapter — was it something John said? Or perhaps something his brother did?
XXXV. Conclusion
Tschüss!
— Wilhelm
