Fugitive Slave in the Gold Rush: Life and Adventures of James Williams

Fugitive Slave in the Gold Rush: Life and Adventures of James WilliamsAfrican American records of the Gold Rush are rare, as are underground railroad accounts from those fleeing to freedom; yet here is the account of a self taught escaped slave and underground railroad worker who also succumbed to the lure of the California Gold Rush. James Williams was all of these things and more, a fascinating individual who in this memoir manages to cram more life into fewer pages than almost anyone has before or since a habit of

African American records of the Gold Rush are rare, as are underground railroad accounts from those fleeing to freedom; yet here is the account of a self-taught escaped slave and underground railroad worker who also succumbed to the lure of the California Gold Rush. James Williams was all of these things and more, a fascinating individual who in this memoir manages to cram more life into fewer pages than almost anyone has before or since - a habit of traveling light that served him well. We learn about Williams's birth and escape from the South and his travels and exciting experiences on the West Coast in the mid-nineteenth century. We become privy to his views on the many people he met, including Chinese immigrants, and his observations on notable events of his time, such as the Modoc War in California.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Bison Books
Published: 10/01/2001
ISBN: 9780803298125
Pages: 120
Weight: 0.40lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.40d