	Henry "Box" Brown I went to a carpenter and convinced him to make me a box. When the box was finished, I placed it before my friend who had promised to assist me with my escape. I laid down in the box and my friend nailed me up. I was first carried to the express office and the box was placed on its end so that I started with my head downwards, although the box was directed "this side up." After a few days I reached Philadelphia, the box was put on a wagon and carried to the house of a friend. It all seemed a comparatively light price to pay for the precious boon of liberty.
	Lucy Delaney My mother told us repeatedly to run away. Well, my sister Nancy escorted Mr. and Mrs. Cox on their honeymoon as a waiting maid. At Niagara Falls one morning, Mr. and Mrs. Cox went for a drive, telling my sister that she could have the day to do as she pleased. My sister decided she would flee to Canada before her mistress returned. When Mrs. Cox returned, she went for my mother and told her that Nancy had run away. Mother was very thankful, and in her heart arose a prayer of thanksgiving. But outwardly she pretended to be vexed and angry.
	Slave Ship Escape Story My father's brother, Thomas, was a member of the slave ship which was taking him and 134 others from Virginia to New Orleans. The slaves revolted, put the officers and crew in irons and settled in the Bahamas Islands. Some of their descendants are there today.
	Lunceford Lane ...the hope that then entered my mind of purchasing at some future date my freedom, made me long for money. ...At night I would steal away with my axe and get a load of wood to cut for twenty-five cents...I persevered until I had obtained twenty dollars.
	Elizabeth Keckley Mr. Burwell, the overseer, came to the cabin. He announced that in two hours my father must join his master and go with him to the West. I can remember how my father cried out agains the cruel separation. My father and mother kept up a regular correspondence for years, and the most precious mementos of my existence are the faded old letters that he wrote. In every letter is a message for me. "Tell my darling little Lizzie," he writes, "to be a good girl, and to learn her book. Tell her that I will come to see her some day." He lived in hope, but died without ever seeing his wife and child again.
	Frederick Douglass From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavaery to freedom. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever the cost of trouble to learn how to read.
	Thomas Jones I got some little time to study by daylight in the morning, before any of my master's family had risen. I got a moment's opportunity at noon, and sometimes at night. During the day...whenever I thought I could have five minutes to myself, I would take my book and try to learn a little in reading and spelling. If I heard James, or master Jones...I would drop my book among the barrels and pretend to be busy shoveling the salt...
	Mending Clothes by Firelight Mother would not get through to go to the log cabin until nine or ten o'clock at night. She would then be so tired, that she could scarcely stand; but she would find a clothes patch wanting here, and a stitch there, and she would sit down by her fire, and sew and sleep alternately, often till the light began to streak in the east.
	Making Furnishings and Making a Home Father and mother tried to make it a happy place for their dear children. They worked late into the night many a time to get a little simple furniture for their home...I can testify...to the deep and fond affection which we cherished in this heart for our home and our dear ones.
	Olaudah Equiano Our land is uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of vegetables in great abundance. We have also spices of different kinds, and a variety of delicious fruits which I have never seen in Europe. Agriculture is our chief employment, and everyone, even the children and women, are engaged in it.
	Handmade Toys Games? Well, 'bout de biggest things us played when I was a chap was baseball, softball and marbles. Us made our own marbles out of clay and baked 'em in de sun, and our baseballs and softballs was made out of rags.
	Cooking in the Fireplace Maw, she done our cooking on the coals in the fireplace in our cabin. We had plenny er possems, an' rabbits, an' fishes, an' sometimes we had wild turkeys and partridges...
	Wooden Bowls I could make wooden bowls and ladels and apply the money I earned in purchasing the tools necessary to enable me to carry on my trade. By these means, I was able to keep our family supplied with molasses and some other luxuries. At the approach of winter, I purchased three coarse blankets which we had made into blanket coats for ourselves and the children.
	Garden Description All kinds of fruits were plentiful in their seasons...we raided plenty of vegetables... The biggest thing we had was buttermilk, some sweet milk, plenty of cornbread, hogmeat, and peas...
	Homemade Dolls Us had home-made rag dolls, nice'uns and we'd git dem long grass plumes and make doll out'n dem, too. Us played all day long every day (as children)...