Epic Journeys of Freedom

During the American Revolution, thousands of slaves fled from their masters to find freedom with the British. Having emancipated themselves--and with rhetoric about the inalienable rights of free men ringing in their ears--these men and women struggled tenaciously to make liberty a reality in their lives.

This alternative narrative includes the stories of dozens of individuals--including Harry, one of George Washington's slaves--who left America and forged difficult new lives in far-flung corners of the British Empire. Written in the best tradition of history from the bottom up, this pathbreaking work will alter the way we think about the American Revolution.

“"What Pybus offers is a collective biography, made possible through her painstaking--breathtaking--examination . . . rich and wonderful." --Jill Lepore The New Yorker "This gripping and enlightening book . . . [is] an impressive and extremely important work. Readers will obtain a much greater understanding of an aspect of the American Revolution that finally gets some much-deserved scholarship." Library Journal Starred "A significant contribution to contemporary studies of the Black Atlantic." Publishers Weekly”

"Through her meticulous research and an engaging narrative, Pybus provides a superb collective biography of those slaves during the American Revolution who dared to pursue their dreams of freedom. This book would be an appropriate addition to either African-American History or Revolutionary War collections."—Clark E. Heath (AASL) Southfield Lathrup High School, Lathrup Village, MI

"This book shines because of Ms. Cassandra Pybus’s stellar research. Her description of the upheaval surrounding the American Revolution is sound . . . Cassandra Pybus’s book adds much needed historical documentation to a group of people who have largely been forgotten by history. Every school and public library should own a copy of this book."—Christina Maria Beaird (PLA), Plainfield Public Library District, Plainfield, IL

"An impressive and extremely important work."
-Library Journal, starred review

"A significant contribution to contemporary studies of the Black Atlantic."
-Publishers Weekly

"What a gripping narrative . . . [and] an awesome achievement."--Alfred F. Young, author of The Shoemaker and the Tea Party

Cassandra Pybus holds the Australian Research Council Chair of History at the University of Tasmania. An award-winning author who has written ten books, she is a frequent Fulbright professor and international fellow at American universities.

During the American Revolution, thousands of slaves fled from their masters to find freedom with the British. Having emancipated themselves--and with rhetoric about the inalienable rights of free men ringing in their ears--these men and women struggled tenaciously to make liberty a reality in their lives. This alternative narrative includes the stories of dozens of individuals--including Harry, one of George Washington's slaves--who left America and forged difficult new lives in far-flung corners of the British Empire. Written in the best tradition of history from the bottom up, this pathbreaking work will alter the way we think about the American Revolution. "Epic Journeys of Freedom is a well-written and engaging narrative history that also happens to be the fruit of prodigious research." --George M. Fredrickson, New York Review of Books "What a gripping narrative . . . an awesome achievement." --Alfred F. Young, author of The Shoemaker and the Tea Party Cassandra Pybus is Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow in History at the University of Sydney. An award-winning author who has written ten books, she is a frequent Fulbright professor and international fellow at American universities.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.