A person trying to escape from slavery risked everything for freedom. Slaveholders were determined to reclaim their “property.” If caught, an enslaved person faced brutal punishment. Slaveholders made public examples of “runaways” to ensure that other people seeking freedom thought twice before trying to escape. Slaveholders ordered “runaways” to be tortured, whipped, beaten, and even killed.

None of that stopped some people from making the attempt. And rather than just running for it, some freedom seekers devised plans. Sometimes,