Itwasanambitiousplan.SailsouthonthePotomacRiver,thennorthuptheChesapeakeBayandDelawareRivertoNewJersey—ajourneyofsome
360kilometers(225 miles).

ButthePearlhadnotsailedhalfwaybeforethewindsdieddown,andhersailswentflat.Withnowindtocombatthetide,the Pearldroppedanchortoavoidbeingpushedbackupriver.Therewasnothingtheycoulddobut wait.

Meanwhile,theslaveownershadcometorealizethattheir“property”wasgone.Theyformedanarmedposseandbegantosearch.Someofthemenboardedafast-movingsteamboat.ItsoonfoundthePearl.

Theslaveswerecaptured,takenbacktoWashington,D.C.,andmarcheduptothejail.Someangrywhiteresidentsbeganariottoprotesttheescape.Itlastedthreedays.LoudvoicesintheU.S. Congressspokeoutstronglyagainsttheattemptedescape.But,afewothersenatorsandcongressmencalledfortheendofslaveryinthenation’s capital.

Atthejail,slavetraderspurchasedmostoftheescapedslavesfromtheirowners.Thetraderstookthem southtosellthemtocottonplantersforahigh profit.

ThePearl’s twowhiteshipcaptainsweretriedandfoundguiltyofhelpingtheslavesescape.Theywerefinedandsentto prison.

Atthattime,theattemptedescapebecamewellknownacrossthecountry.Itmademorepeopleawareoftheevilsofslavery.ItwouldalsoinfluenceCongresstoendtheslavetradeinWashington,D.C.,in1850.ThenthestoryofthevoyageofthePearldisappeared.Iwantedtofindit again.

WashingtonD.C.

Maryland

Virginia

PearlCaptured here

Chesapeake
Bay

St.Mary’sCounty

Potomac River

IfirststumbledontheaccountofthePearlwhenIwasresearchingthehistoryofWashington,D.C.IdiscoveredthattwoofthepeopleonthePearlwereteenagesisters,MaryandEmilyEdmonson.Fouroftheirbrotherswerealsothere.IwasdeterminedtolearneverythingIcouldabout them.

Ihadmanyquestions.Whoelsewasontheship?Howwastheescapeplanned?Whathappenedtothesepeople?IstartedmyhuntforinformationattheHistoricalSocietyofWashington, D.C.