The Freedom Seekers: Stories of Black Liberation in the American Revolutionary Era and Beyond project uncovers stories of enslaved people who escaped during the 17th to early 19th centuries.
The research covers escapes across Revolutionary America, the British Caribbean, Canada and Great Britain, according to the Freedom Seekers website. The project involves primary and secondary research conducted by graduate students and professors.
Most of the researchers are based at the University of Wisconsin, but some are also at universities in California, Montana, New York and elsewhere, according to the website.
Each intern on the project finds a story of an enslaved person who escaped — a freedom seeker — and attempts to tell their story, as many stories have been lost. The final result is a published piece detailing their chosen figure’s escape, ultimate destination and motivations, UW senior Katie Perkins said.
Perkins, a history and economics major, interns with Freedom Seekers as an undergraduate student researcher.
Perkins’ undergraduate thesis advisor, Professor Simon Balto, recommended the internship to her because she had previously conducted research on African American history.
Perkins is working on telling the story of Hannah, who escaped from a plantation in Alexandria, Va.
“Being able to tell a story that’s been lost to history is very important to me as a historian,” Perkins said. “Especially in the current day when academic work is being consistently challenged and I think it’s important to keep people’s stories alive, especially if they’ve never been told.”
Hannah likely escaped to Washington D.C. in 1805, where there was a free Black community.
Part of the challenge specific to this research is piecing together stories with sparse information, as many of the subjects are identified only by their first name.
Perkins also analyzes descriptive language in the advertisement and the depiction of women written by slave owners.
She studies the significance of escapes on Christmas Day, a day when surveillance was often lower.
Perkins is building on research begun by Tamika Nunley in her novel, “At the Threshold of Liberty: Women, Slavery, and Shifting Identities in Washington, D.C.,” which features Hannah’s story.
The Freedom Seekers accept essay submissions on their website, where all previous published works can be viewed.