Frozen Escape
This file appears in: John Rankin House
Many scenes from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book Uncle Tom’s Cabin have been depicted in artwork. This 1881 image recreates the escape of Beecher’s Eliza across a half-frozen river while fending off dogs that were not actually present. Dogs were often included in these types of images to represent the real violence many escaped slaves were subjected to as slave catchers used hunting dogs to track their trail. This lithograph was created by W.J. Morgan & Co. and advertised the dramatic theatrical telling of Beecher’s book on stage by the Jarrett and Palmer London Company and Slavins Original American Troupe.
This file appears in: John Rankin House
John Rankin House
We know that it was at the home of Presbyterian minister John Rankin that Eliza Harris had her first moment of safety after escaping from slavery. It had not been an easy journey for Eliza leaving in winter February 1838 from Dover, Kentucky with…