Freedom Crossing

Freedom Crossing takes place in the years leading up to the American Civil War, during the abolitionist movement. The book is set in Lewiston, New York. The Niagara River borders Lewiston on the west; across the river is Canada. Historically, it was an important stop on the Underground Railroad for enslaved people escaping to freedom. The abolitionist characters in Freedom Crossing represent a real group of people (Black and white) in the Northeast who dedicated their lives to opposing the horrors of slavery.

There are several historical figures referenced in the book who had major roles in the abolitionist movement. Harriet Tubman, often referred to as Moses (an allusion to the biblical Moses, who led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the edge of the promised land [Exod 14]), was born into slavery in Maryland in 1822. In 1849, Harriet escaped from slavery to Pennsylvania, only to return later and rescue her family. In a time where slavery threatened to tear families apart, Harriet Tubman worked to keep families of enslaved people together. In Freedom Crossing, Martin’s family has been separated, and the aim of the rescue mission is to reunite Martin with his family that escaped before him.

One of the themes of Freedom Crossing, the importance of education, is reinforced by references to real writers of the 1850s. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which Joel gives to Laura, was highly controversial at the time for its negative portrayal of slavery. The book fueled abolitionists and was seen as a threat by those who were pro-slavery. Stowe’s novel is not without modern controversy as well, and some critics have questioned whether a white woman from the North, as Stowe was, “had the ability or right to speak for people of African descent” (“Uncle Tom’s Cabin: A Moral Battle Cry for Freedom.” Harriet Beecher Stowe Center). Acclaimed American author James Baldwin harshly criticized Uncle Tom’s Cabin in his 1949 essay collection Notes from a Native Son. Despite controversy both when it was published in 1852 and in later decades, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a sensation and quickly became the second best-selling book of 19th century, after the Bible (for a time it outsold even the Bible).

Another writer mentioned in Freedom Crossing, Frederick Douglass, was instrumental in laying out the human rights owed to enslaved people. Like Harriet Tubman, he escaped from slavery in Maryland and then became one of the greatest orators of his time, a prolific writer, and an impassioned antislavery activist. His work is still highly regarded and studied to this day.

The Tryons, Josiah and Amos, and Tryon’s Folly (the famous house of four cellars or sometimes called the house of seven cellars) are also rooted in fact. Just like in the book, Josiah Tryon got the idea to use his brother’s abandoned house as a stop on the Underground Railroad due to its proximity to the Niagara River and the Canadian border, design (the multilevel cellars were built down the bank toward the river), and isolation (away from traffic and neighbors’ peering eyes). The original house burned in 1900, and another house was built on the foundation in 1915. As of 2023, it is a private residence.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a critical turning point for the abolitionists. The law stated that captured runaways had to be returned to their owners. The act was nicknamed “The Bloodhound Bill” for the ruthless bloodhounds who would track down the runaways. This act is one of the driving forces of the novel, and Margaret Goff Clark’s use of sensory imagery, particularly the distant howl of bloodhounds, creates a tone of fear and reminds readers that Martin faces a constant threat of danger. Margaret Goff Clark’s ability to combine fact and fiction in her book makes for a more exciting and educating read.