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

Mary

Emily

Getting Started

I began to research the story. I started with a book called Fugitives of the Pearl. It was written in 1930 by John H. Paynter. He was a relative of the Edmonsons. Next, I found a book written by the captain of the Pearl. These books have been preserved for us to read. They told me what happened. I wanted to know more.

I looked at records and other documents from that time. I looked at ship passenger lists and court cases. I also read abolitionist newspapers. An abolitionist was a person who believed that slavery should end. These materials are called primary sources.

Recreating the Past

These sources told me that the Edmonsons owned a farm in Washington, D.C. Their father, Paul, was a free man. He was not a slave. Yet, the children were slaves. The law said they had to be slaves because their mother, Amelia, was a slave. Paul and Amelia wanted a better life for their children.

07/06/2024 13:44:50

Following Their Journey

After being captured, Mary and Emily were taken to Louisiana. Yet, there was an outbreak of yellow fever there. Mary and Emily were valuable “property.” Slave traders didn’t want them to get sick. So, they sent them back to Washington, D.C. There, abolitionists raised money to buy their freedom. It worked!

After they became free, they worked to free their brothers. I learned from records that a rich man in New York helped free Richard. Emily raised money to free Ephraim. Samuel escaped. John was the only brother who never made it home. He stayed in Louisiana.

Telling Their Story

I had done a lot of research. I had used many sources. Now, I knew the full story of the Pearl. I wrote a book about it. If you’d like to know what I learned, you can read it. It’s called Escape on the Pearl.

The Pearl escape helped change history. It made people want to end slavery. The lives of Mary, Emily, and their brothers were forever changed, too. Their story is part of the story of America. Telling it keeps their history alive.

author Mary Kay Ricks

Escape on the pearl. The heroic bid for freedom on the underground railroad. Mary Kay Ricks.

07/06/2024 13:44:50

A popup dialog has opened