Hi my name is Jordan. I was born a slave in Virginia. I’ve been working in the masters house since I was a little girl. planting…harvesting…binding and staking. Backbreaking work from sunup to sundown. I sleep in a small wooden cabin with another family. We slept in old mattresses on the floor for a bed. There was no privacy what’s so ever. My boss wouldn’t even get up to get himself a drink of water. A Negro would have to bring it to her. I was sold to someone in Kentucky when i was barely old enough to walk. I can still remember my mother running out of the big house begging for the master not to sell me. I road all the way to Kentucky in the back of a wagon, the horses had started to pull away,the wheels of the wagon kicked up a great cloud of dust my mothers cries faded and look where i am now. I am almost 17 i was born a slave but do not intend to die one. It was getting dark in Kentucky i went to my cabin to sleep. In the middle of the night I hopped out of bed and everyone thought i was going to the necessary (Bathroom) but i was really trying to escape. My mom said one day i would find her again she told me if you ever try to escape head toward Canada and she will be waiting for me. So today is the day i go find my mom. I snuck out and headed North hoping my mom would be waiting for me. I started running into the woods and then… I heard a strange noise. I hid under leaves. An old man walked up to me and took of the leaves and said come I will explain later and grabbed me by the hand and took me into his house. The old man said i was one a slave I escaped though, as he told me his story he cooked a big dinner for me. He got me some nicer close and he got me a blanket and said you’re going to need it i said thank you and he told me head towards the north star it will lead you to a big house those are the people that helped me escape. When you get to the house whisperer “slave escape” and walk in they will feed you more and tell you how to get to Canada where your mom is and where you can be free. So i followed the North star to the big house. I went to the door and whispered “slave escape” and i went in. She said my name is Laura. Laura said come come sit. So i sat down and she started cooking a really big meal for me. She cooked the most delicious meal i have ever had! She started telling me her story about when she escaped as a slave. After she told me her story she called her husband Steve. Steve said you may sleep over here i will get you some blanket’s and a pillow we will disguise how you will escape in the morning. They got me some blanket’s and a pillow and i went to sleep. I was dreaming about me escaping and being free but most importantly, me finding my mom. It’s morning and when I wake up there are waffles sitting on the table with orange juice. I have had waffles but they were rotten. I did have orange juice once but it was 13 weeks old, and it wasn’t very good. We eat while we disguised how i was going to make it to Canada. Steve told me i need to just head North and find his friend who can help me get to Canada. Steve said you’re going to need this and gave me a key. Steve also told me when you’re starting to see moss you are getting closer and the last words he said to me were “ Good luck” and i went out the door i knew my chances of finding my mom again were slick but i had a feeling that if i could make it to Canada i would find her. So i followed the north star. After walking a long ways I started to see moss so i knew i was getting closer. I sleeped by the moss i would continue my journey tomorrow morning. It’s morning now i started continuing my journey to find my mom and be free. When i got to the city i went to try to find Steve’s friends house to cause he knew my mom. So I found a strange door that had something written on it. What was written on it was 3 letter’s, U.R.R. They were the same letter’s on the key Steve gave him. So I tried opening the door with my key And what do know it was a perfect fit. First i didn’t see anyone then I walked upstairs and i found a man. He said i have a boat for you I know where your mom. when i heard that I was so happy. He told me this boat will take you to your mom. So I got onto the boat and jumped on and the driver took me to where my mom was. When I got to Canada where my mom was I hopped of the boat and started looking around. First I did not see her but then I heard someone shout Jordan! I could not believe it it was my mom she was older. She said my baby well you are not a little baby anymore you are all grown up now . Let’s go home my mom said and I said wait we have a home? She said yes the people who helped you escaped gave us a really good home. So we can be free now.
And that is my story as when i escaped on the underground railroad…
