"Master Slave Husband Wife" is a nonfiction work by Korean American author Ilyon Woo, published in 2023, and it won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Biography (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, pp. 416). As the subtitle, "An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom," suggests, this book vividly details the harrowing journey of two slaves, William and Ellen Craft, who escaped from Macon, Georgia. Their route took them through Savannah in South Carolina, Wilmington in North Carolina, Richmond in Virginia, Washington D.C., Baltimore in Maryland, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, New York, and Boston. They eventually reached freedom in Portland, Maine, before crossing the Atlantic to Halifax in Canada and finally Liverpool in England.

Ellen, disguised as a wealthy and disabled white man, and William, posing as her servant, traveled by train, carriage, foot, and steamboat. Throughout their journey, they cleverly and patiently navigated suspicions from slave hunters, officials, and passengers. Their dramatic escape from the cotton fields of the South, where slavery was staunchly defended, to the relative freedom for Black people in England, is portrayed with historical accuracy and novelistic flair, making the narrative both engaging and educational.

The Crafts yearned for a life of family, freedom, education, active social engagement, and religious liberty. Determined to escape the bonds of slavery, they embarked on a perilous adventure from the dark slave cabins of Georgia, dreaming of a better life across the Atlantic. They dared to dream of safety, freedom, education, and a happy family life.

In December 1848, they embarked on a 5,000-mile journey for their self-emancipation, successfully crossing the Atlantic and escaping to freedom. Their escape, along with similar movements by other slaves, became a catalyst for the American Civil War, which ultimately led to the abolition of slavery through President Abraham Lincoln's historic Emancipation Proclamation.

Through this book, I gained a deeper understanding of the dark history of racial discrimination in America, especially the severe discrimination against Black people and the deeply entrenched institution of slavery. Africans were forcibly kidnapped, primarily from West Africa, by brutal slave hunters, transported by ship to major ports on the American East Coast, and sold in slave markets. It is estimated that between 9.4 and 12 million Africans were brought to the Americas, though exact numbers are difficult to ascertain.

Even for those living in the United States, it is not easy to learn detailed and vivid historical facts about its dark history without effort. In this regard, this book is valuable for satisfying such curiosity based on historical facts and is worth reading.

One of the most heartbreaking parts of the book was the slave owners selling family members one by one through auctions in front of the entire family. The story also details the arduous process of these dispersed family members searching for their loved ones throughout their lives.

Another poignant aspect was that Ellen and William, who had little formal education due to their status as slaves, received much-needed education in England with the help of their supporters. They eventually wrote a book titled "Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom: Or, the Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery," published in London in 1860, to expose their harrowing journey and the atrocities of slavery to the world.

The Crafts later returned to the United States, initially attempting to establish a farm in Georgia before finally settling at the Hickory Hill plantation in South Carolina and later at the Woodville plantation in Ways Station, Georgia. They became actively involved in educating and enlightening Black people. Their plantation became known as "The only black-owned plantation in the country."

Ellen died around 1891, and William passed away in 1900 at the age of 76. Ellen is believed to have requested to be buried under her favorite oak tree in Woodville, Georgia. However, William, who was left alone with their children, faced severe financial difficulties and was buried in the Friendly Union Society Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, rather than next to his beloved wife. Thus, although the couple spent their lives together, they were separated in death.

The title "Master Slave Husband Wife" encapsulates the dramatic life story of William and Ellen Craft, who lived as slaves, disguised themselves to escape dramatically, married, and lived as husband and wife. The four words in the title effectively convey their incredible life journey.

The release of their story 160 years later by Ilyon Woo serves as a poignant reminder of the serious issue of racial discrimination that continues globally. Her courage and literary achievement in addressing a sensitive and uncomfortable topic based on meticulous and objective historical research deserve high praise.

As the saying goes, "No man is superior or inferior to another," indicating that every person has inalienable human rights granted by Heaven. This work also clearly and specifically demonstrates the importance and power of education in our lives through the dramatic life story of William and Ellen Craft.

June 12, 2024

Solti