Mary
Emily
GettingStarted
Asmysearchbegan,IsoonfoundabookcalledFugitivesofthePearlwrittenin1930byJohnH.Paynter.HewasthegrandnephewofMaryandEmilyEdmonsonandtheirfour brothers.
Next,IfoundabookthathadbeenwrittenbyDanielDrayton,oneofthePearl’s captains.AndabookaboutslaverybyHarrietBeecherStowehadawholechapterontheEdmonsonfamilyandthePearlescape.Afewyearsaftertheescape,StowewroteUncleTom’sCabin,an anti‑slavery novelthatevenPresidentAbrahamLincolnknew about.
Manyoftheseimportantworkshavebeenpreservedforustoread.Eachofthesesourcesgavemeanaccountofwhathappened.But,Iwantedtofindoutmoredetails.Ilookedatcensusrecordsthattrackpopulationchangesandshowwherepeoplelived.Ialsolookedatotherhistoricaldocumentslikeshippassengerlists,courtcases,deedsshowinglandownership,churchrecords,newspaper articles,andotherpapers.Thesematerialsarecalledprimarysources.Theywerecreatednearthetimetheeventtook place.
ThegirlsandtheirbrothersweretakentoNewOrleans,Louisiana,tobesold.Theship’srecordslistedtheirheight.Marywas15yearsoldand5’6”tall,andEmilywas13 yearsold,andshorterat 5’1.”
LearningMore
Likeanimagecomingintofocusonacameralens,IbegantogetaclearerpictureoftheEdmonson family.
Fromofficiallanddeeds,IlearnedthatMaryandEmily’sfather,PaulEdmonson,wasafreeman.Heowneda40‑acrefarmnorthofWashington,D.C.PaulEdmonsonwasfreedwhenhisownerdiedin 1821.
RecreatingthePast
Fromtheagriculturalcensusof1850,Ilearnedalotaboutthefamilyfarm.Theyhadfruittreesandgrewpotatoes,wheat,oats,andcorn.Therewerethreehorses,threecows,andfive pigs.
Itsoundedlikeawonderfulplacetogrowup.ButtheEdmonsonsiblingscouldonlylivetherewhentheywereveryyoung.At13,theywenttoworkinsomeofthefinesthousesinWashington,D.C.Themoneythattheyearnedwenttotheirowner,not
to them.
Theyhadtoworkbecausetheywereslaves.Theywereslavesbecausetheirmotherwasaslave.Thelawinallslavestatesandterritoriessaidthat,ifthemotherwasenslaved,sowereherchildren.ThewritersPaynterandStowebothsaidthatPaul’swife,Amelia,wasenslaved.TheyaddedthatshebelongedtoawomanwholivedneartheEdmonsonfarm.CourtrecordsthatIfoundshowedthatPaynterandStowewere right.
AsIcontinuedmyresearch,Ireliedonnewspapers.Newspapersoftheday,especiallyabolitionistones,wroteabouttheescape.Anabolitionistwasapersonwhobelievedthatslaverywasimmoralandshouldbeabolishedimmediately.IwasabletoreadmostofthesehistoricalnewspapersattheLibraryofCongress.Manyareavailableonline,butnotall.ItraveledtoOhioandNewOrleanstoreadsomelocal newspapers.
AttheNationalArchivesinWashington,D.C.,wheremanyimportantAmericanpapersarekept,therecordsoftheNewOrleans‑boundship,theUnion, listeddetailsofitspassengers.MaryandEmily’sbrotherswereSamuel,Ephraim,Richard,andJohn.Theyrangedinagefrom21to30 years old.