A Historical Movement Around Publication (Entry Six)

Written after his final escape of slavery, Henry Bibb’s narrative contains a detailed account of his many escapes as well as his love for his wife and child. In the process of writing, Bibb’s main goal was liberation, thus tying into the cultural moment in which he was writing; escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad. Being a prevalent movement of the time, escaping slavery was in the forefront of many slaves minds. One estimate explains that “the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850” (PBS). In his narrative, Bibb allows his readers to take a look into his perseverance for freedom.

The narrative of Henry Bibb was published in 1849. During the receiving of Bibb’s narrative, the most important historical moment was the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in the year 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 deemed it lawful to issue a warrant for the arrest of any master’s slave that was thought to have run away, thus allowing any free black to be in question as to the nature his or her own livelihood. This posed a huge problem for free African Americans living in the North because they had no right to a rebuttal in court (Finkleman). Slave owners were constantly accusing free African Americans of being enslaved causing widespread panic amongst the free population.

The moment in which the narrative was received consisted of a series of abolitionist movements. After the publication of his narrative, and for fear of being wrongfully sent back into slavery, Bibb and his second wife moved to Canada where they began abolitionist campaigns in order to try and gain equal rights for African Americans (Giusto). The newspaper written by Bibb titled Voice of the Fugitive allowed readers to understand the political movements that were occurring through a voice with similar opinions as their own thus. Because of his move across the border to Canada, Bibb’s newspaper was, ultimately, allowed a cultural connection to be made between free African Americans on an international level. It is in this moment in history that one is able to identify a constant increase in the forthcoming of Anti-Slavery expressions.

Works Cited

Finelman, Paul. "Fugitive Slave Law of 1850." Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press, 2006-2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009.
http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0004/e0237?hi=2&highlight=1&from=quick&pos=2

Giusto, Heidi. "Bibb, Henry W." Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press, 2008-2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0004/e0054?hi=0&highlight=1&from=quick&pos=1

"People and Events: The Underground Railroad." Resource Bank. PBS Online. Web. 29 Nov. 2009.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

Yee, Shirley. "Cary, Mary Ann Camberton Shadd." Oxford African American Studies Center. Oxford University Press, 2006-2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2009. http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0002/e0844?