Solomon Bayley's 1799 slave escape helped Harriet Tubman a generation later figure out her own Underground RR route.
Solomon Bayley's heart raced. The two slave hunters had divining rods, and were mere yards away from Bayley’s hiding place. And gaining.
Bayley’s memoir is the only one we have from an enslaved Delawarean. His hair-raising getaways will leave you breathless.
If you like this clip, keep an eye out for my forthcoming book "Delaware from Railways to Freeways," which includes the story of how Solomon Bayley’s escape route influenced Harriet Tubman’s own Underground Railroad route choices.
This is a Hypertext Book Release of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic This Side of Paradise on Black April 23, 2016 which is William Shakespeare,s 400th birthday.