Everest is 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) tall. It is the tallest mountain above sea level in the world.

In Nepal, the mountain is called Sagarmatha. That means “holy mother.” In Tibet, the mountain is known as Chomolangma. That means “mother of the universe.”

The mountain was named after British surveyor and geographer George Everest.

There is 66 percent less oxygen at the top of Everest than at sea level.

More than 4,800 individuals have summited Everest—some more than once!

07/06/2024 13:15:49

Follow me as I uncover a story from the past.

By Mary Kay Ricks

Illustrations by Adam Turner

Before you read

Social Studies

Using Primary Resources

As you read, think about the different kinds of sources the author uses.

07/06/2024 13:44:50

It was an April evening in 1848. More than 70 enslaved people quietly left their homes. They headed toward a sailboat. It was docked in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The ship was called the Pearl. These people were searching for freedom.

It was a brave plan. They would sail south on the Potomac River. Then they would sail north to New Jersey. The trip was about 360 kilometers (225 miles).

The Pearl had not sailed far before the wind died down. The sails went flat. The ship dropped anchor so the tide would not push it back up the river.

Meanwhile, the slave owners saw that their slaves were gone. They were angry. They began a search. Their steamboat soon found the Pearl. The slaves were captured and taken back into slavery.

There were two teenage sisters on board, Mary and Emily Edmonson. Four of their brothers‑Samuel, Ephraim, Richard, and John‑were also there. I wanted to learn more about them.

Washington, D.C.

Maryland

Virginia

Pearl Captured here

Chesapeake
Bay

St. Mary’s
County

Potomac River

07/06/2024 13:44:50

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