The article discusses how claims by slaveholders that enslaved Blacks were 'happy' in bondage are unfounded, highlighting accounts from the Underground Railroad that speak to the contrary. It focuses on detailed accounts of escape, particularly those of Clarissa Davis and a pregnant unnamed woman, both of whom undertook extreme measures for their freedom, including disguises and being shipped in boxes. These stories illustrate the inherent desire for liberty among enslaved individuals, effectively challenging the notion that they were satisfied in their subjugated state.
The very fact that a pregnant woman would have herself confined in a small chest, risking serious injury to escape slavery, contradicts the myth of "happy slaves."
Slaveholders claimed that Blacks found freedom 'burdensome', yet accounts of individuals like Clarissa Davis refute this, showcasing their desperate desire for liberty.
The stories of Clarissa Davis and the unnamed Woman Escaping in a Box highlight the lengths enslaved people would go to for freedom, refuting the 'happy slave' narrative.
Records from the Underground Railroad demonstrate that enslaved individuals sought freedom at all costs, countering the claims of slavery apologists that they were content in bondage.
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