Dear Doctor Luckerson, You hooked me with your first newsletters as you researched Built from the Fire and now as you further expand upon your exploration of our nation's history telling the stories we all need to know, but never learned in school, your research, once again, shines a light and kindles HOPE. Thank you for your research and writing.
While in San Francisco this summer, I happened across a memorial plaque to Mary Ellen Pleasant. It is SF's smallest city park, consisting of the plaque in the sidewalk and six eucalyptus trees. I came to learn that she operated the California end of the Underground Railroad. I'd never thought of the railroad's running West. She was also a self-made multimillionaire.
What a life story Mary Ellen Pleasant has. A lot of it enters the realm of hearsay/legend/undocumented events. But there is plenty of solid info there!
Thank you for a fascinating article on a moment in history too often overlooked. I was a history major and had never heard about Still! Keep up the great work!
I've seen that lithograph, but never knew who else was in it. I also never gave thought to something as simple as a haircut being an identifying factor if someone was on the run from their enslaver. Still was quite a man, and I think deserving of more acknowledgement than to my knowledge he's been given.
At first I thought you were going to be writing about the great composer William Still
but the dates didn't align. So once again thanks for bringing me an interesting slice of history of which I was mostly ignorant. I mean I knew about the underground railroad but not about its chronicling which is how we know about the underground railroad.
Dear Doctor Luckerson, You hooked me with your first newsletters as you researched Built from the Fire and now as you further expand upon your exploration of our nation's history telling the stories we all need to know, but never learned in school, your research, once again, shines a light and kindles HOPE. Thank you for your research and writing.
Thank you for the kind words, Lisa. I'm printing this out for my office!
I plan to read this now.
While in San Francisco this summer, I happened across a memorial plaque to Mary Ellen Pleasant. It is SF's smallest city park, consisting of the plaque in the sidewalk and six eucalyptus trees. I came to learn that she operated the California end of the Underground Railroad. I'd never thought of the railroad's running West. She was also a self-made multimillionaire.
Thanks for reading, Fran! I wasn't aware of Mary Ellen Pleasant. Adding her to my list of potential story ideas.
What a life story Mary Ellen Pleasant has. A lot of it enters the realm of hearsay/legend/undocumented events. But there is plenty of solid info there!
Thank you for a fascinating article on a moment in history too often overlooked. I was a history major and had never heard about Still! Keep up the great work!
thank you for reading!
I've seen that lithograph, but never knew who else was in it. I also never gave thought to something as simple as a haircut being an identifying factor if someone was on the run from their enslaver. Still was quite a man, and I think deserving of more acknowledgement than to my knowledge he's been given.
At first I thought you were going to be writing about the great composer William Still
but the dates didn't align. So once again thanks for bringing me an interesting slice of history of which I was mostly ignorant. I mean I knew about the underground railroad but not about its chronicling which is how we know about the underground railroad.
So once thanks for the enlightening article.
Great read sir. Exceptional.