TheRescueof JohnDoy
Illustratedby MayaAmen
AdaptedbyCherrIePreut From TheNarratIveofJohnDoy
SpecIalVocabulary
UndergroundRailroad-TheUndergroundRailroadwasaway ofhelpingenslavedpeoplegettofreedom.Ithadroutesand hidingspots.Sometimesthosewhohelpedprovidedthe freedomseekersfoodorclothing.Itdidnotusetrainsatallbut thewordsusedtodescribethepeopleandplacescamefrom railroadvocabulary.Forexample,a"conductor"helpedshow thewayforfreedomseekers.Thewordunderground meantit hadtobesecretbecauseitwasagainstthelawtohelpa runawayenslavedperson.
borderruffian-ApersonfromMissouriwhobelievedinslavery. ThesepeoplecrossedtheborderintoKansastostealsupplies, destroybuildingsandhousesandtoscarethosewhodidnotwant Kansastobeaslavestate.Theseraidsoccurredbetween1854and 1860beforetheCivilWar.
abolitionist- a person who wants to stop or abolish slavery.
AbouttheIllustrator
Arthasalwaysbeenahugepartofmylife.Ihave anxietyandcreatingartalwaysseemstohelp calmmedownandfeelmorelikemyself. Hangingoutwithmytwocatsalsohelps Throughoutmytimeinschool,Ienjoyedart classesbutnoneofthemwenttothenextlevel whenitcametotechniqueandthinkingoutside thebox Igottohighschoolandtheteachers taughtthingsthatchangedthewayIapproached mywork Ilearnednewwaystodealwith problemsthatmightcomeupandworktheminto thepieceinsteadofgettingfrustrated Theart teachersencouragedtheirstudentstoenterart contestsandshows.I’vewonafew,likethe Hang12designcontest,theScholasticSilverKey inpaintingandtheGoldKeywithapainting portfolio IlovelisteningtomusicandLove GardenSoundsindowntownLawrenceismy favoriteplacetofindgoodvinylrecords.Mytop genresrightnowareK-pop,K-Rock/Rock,and Alternative/Indie. IloveartistslikeTomorrowx Together,SeSoNeon,andDeclanMcKenna
We need your help! Friends and family are getting kidnapped by the border ruffians!
In1858,Lawrencewasafairlynewtown.Kansaswasnotevenastateyet.Duringthis timeperiodknownas"BleedingKansas"therewerefreeAfricanAmericanslivinginthe town.BorderruffiansbegankidnappingthesepeopleandtakingthemintoMissouritobe soldasslaves.ThefreeAfricanAmericansaskedwhitesettlerstohelpthemescapeonthe UndergroundRailroad.AtatownmeetingJohnDoy,aLawrencecitizen,wasaskedtotake agroupofpeopleasfarasHoltonasheknewtherouteoftheUndergroundRailroadin KansasTerritory.Anothergroupwouldtakethemfurthernorth.
JohnDoyandhisson,Charles,droveonewagon.Anotherwagonwasdrivenbya hiredman.Thegroupthatwentwiththemwasmadeupofeightmen,threewomen andtwochildren.TwelvemilesfromLawrencethetwowagonswerestoppedbyborder ruffiansandproslaveryKansans.DoyandhissonweretakentoWeston,Missouritobe jailedwithachargeof"stealingslaves".OnceWestonwasreachedalargemobofpeople spentanhourthrowinginsults,jeersandevenhitDoyandhisson.ThefreeAfrican AmericansweretakentoMissouritobesoldintoslavery.TheDoyslivedinacellwith nowindowforcloseto2months.
DuringthefirsttrialthejurywasunabletodecideDoy’sfate.Hissonwasletoffona minordetailandwasabletogohome.DoywastransferredtoaslightlynicerjailatSt. Joseph,Missouri.Duringhistimeherehewasabletoseethehorrorsoftheslavetradein Missouri. InJuly,asecondjuryfoundDoyguiltyof“transportingslaves”.
No! This can’t be! The people were not slaves! You are sentenced to five years hard labor at the Missouri State Prison!
Meanwhile,backinLawrence...
There has to be a way we can help John!
ThepeoplewhoaskedJohnDoytotakethegroupoffreeAfricanAmericansdecided thattheymustformaplantorescuehim.AnappealhadbeenmadeandDoywastobe heldinSt.Josephfor30moredayswhiletheSupremeCourtheardthecase.Aman namedJamesAbbottagreedtoleadajailbreak.HestartedtoSt.Josephwithnineother Lawrencementoformtheplanandstarttherescue.
Themendecidedtobringa"horsethief"tothejailsotheycouldgetinatnight. Then theywouldannouncewhattheyreallywanted!Theysentamantothejailearlytolook theplaceover.HepretendedtobecarryingamessagefromDoy'swife.Whilechecking theplaceoutandtalkingwithDoyhewasabletopassasecretnotetohimthatthe rescuewouldhappenatmidnight.
Asthemenreadiedthemselves,afiercethunderstormbeganaround9:00. The stormcontinuedasthetimegrewclosertotherescue.Missouriinthe1850'swasa darkplaceatnightwithoutcitylights.Thegroupdecidedtheywouldneedtohold handssothatnoonewouldgetlostonthewaytothejail!Whentheyreachedthejail Abbottpoundedonthedoor.Boom!Boom!Boom!Woulditbeheardabovethethunder, windandheavyrain?Soonthejaileryelledfromhisresidenceinsidethejail.After arguingwiththerescuecrewforafewminutesaboutbringingthe"horsethief"into thejail,thejailerrelentedandletthemin.
Oh no! It‘s starting to rain! We‘ll never be able to see in this darkness!
Astherescuersenteredthejailtheybegantotellthemadeupstoryaboutthe“horse thief”.ThentheycheckedtoseeifDoywasstillactuallytherebypretendingtohavean interestinhiscourtcase.Oncetheyknewhewasstillinhiscelltheydroppedtheir actingandtoldthejailerwhotheyreallywere. The“horsethief”droppedhispretend bonds. Thebondswereactuallyaweaponmadeofropeattachedtoahardmetalball withmetalpointedpieces.Heslungtheballendandhitthejailer!Whenthejailertried tomakeabreakforithefoundhimselfattheendofa10inchpistol.Therescuers threatenedhimtostayquietwhiletheytookDoyoutofthebuilding.
AsthementookDoyoutofthejailandintotherainystreethefelldown.Hewas weakanddiseasedfromhistimeinjail.Twomenhelpedhimtohisfeetandtheytried tomaketheirwaythroughtherainwithonlythelightningtoshowtheirway.Theyall headedtotheMissouriRiverwherethereweresmallboatshiddenforthem.Oncethey foundthemsomemenrowedwhileothersbailedoutrainwaterwiththeirhats!Once acrosstherivertheywereabletogetDoyintothewagontheyhadbrought.Theymade theirescapeintothedarkinthewagonandonhorseback.Thoseonhorsebackwere armedincaseanyMissourianswouldfollowthem.
Keep bailing or we are all going to drown in this river!
Thementraveled12milesthatfirstnighttomakesuretheywerewellawayfromSt. Joseph.Aftertwelvemilestheystoppedatthehouseofanabolitionistfriendwherethey werefedbreakfast.Theyleftfromthishouseandcontinuedon.Astheytraveledthere wasagroupofmenthatfollowedthemmostoftheday.Therescuersweresurethey wouldbeabletoprotectthemselvesbutsentfourofthementoturnbackandpursue thesefollowers.Theyneversawthemagain.
AtlasttherescuersmadeitbacktoLawrence.Acrowdgatheredtocongratulatethe rescuersandwelcomeJohnDoybacktoLawrence. Sadly,thegroupofpeoplethathad startedoutwithhimwerenowenslaved.Thefightoftheabolitionistswouldhaveto continueuntilallpeoplewerefree.
