Life on the Underground Railroad

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Kallen presents his material in lively, yet objective prose, buttressed by well-chosen quotations from relevant 19th-century documents. The introduction and the first chapter review the history of slavery in America to 1861 and describe a slave's treatment, labor, cabin, and diet. Subsequent chapters describe terrifying journeys on the "railroad," and how runaway slaves worked with underground conductors and stationmasters to outwit bounty hunters. A brief final section links the impact of the Underground Railroad experience on African-American military service for the Union and the events of Reconstruction. The text is supplemented by a generous selection of black-and-white maps and period photographs and illustrations, all with much sharper images than found in other volumes in this series. Shaded boxes highlight major figures and interesting facts. A concise and useful resource.-Starr E. Smith, Marymount University Library, Arlington, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|