Prompt Cast
The Blackburns: Escaping Slavery and Shaping the Underground Railroad
TLDR The Blackburns, a married couple who escaped slavery in Kentucky, faced arrest and the threat of being sent back to slavery in Detroit. With the help of their community and local abolitionists, they successfully escaped to Canada, where they settled in Toronto and started a successful taxi cab business.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
During a time of slavery in America, there were Americans who fled to Canada in search of a better life, which is the focus of this episode.
05:07
The Blackburns, a married couple who were enslaved in Kentucky, escaped to Canada in 1831, facing numerous obstacles and helping shape the Underground Railroad and Canada's extradition laws along the way.
10:14
The Blackburns, who had escaped slavery and settled in Detroit, were arrested and faced the threat of being sent back to slavery, but their community rallied behind them and two women approached the sheriff to offer their help.
15:34
The Blackburns, along with the help of their community and local abolitionists, successfully escaped to Canada to avoid being sent back to slavery.
21:49
The Blackburns were accused of starting a riot and trying to kill the sheriff of Detroit, but Canada refused to extradite them back to the US because their crimes were not considered capital offenses in Canada and would result in enslavement.
26:48
The Blackburns moved to Toronto after being released from jail, where Thornton started a successful taxi cab business and they helped resettle other freedom seekers.
32:30
The Confederados, a group of Americans from the Confederacy, migrated to Brazil after the Civil War to continue their way of life in a society that still had slavery.
38:52
Thousands of Americans, including ordinary farmers and doctors, migrated to Brazil after the Civil War in hopes of finding a better life and the opportunity to become slave owners.
44:15
Thousands of Americans migrated to Brazil after the Civil War, but quickly discovered that the country did not live up to the promises made by James McFadden Gaston, and they also realized that race was understood differently in Brazil than in the US.
49:19
The Confederados who migrated to Brazil assimilated into Brazilian society over time, intermarrying with Brazilians, speaking Portuguese, and redefining their identity as Americans rather than Confederates, although some still display the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of their founding.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
