The picture above is a fugitive slave from Kentucky, Margaret Garner. Garner was notorious for killing one of her own children rather than permitting her daughter to return to slavery. Garner was twenty five and lived with her husband, Robert, and four children. Robert suggested in 1865 that they should escape, and after much concern, Margaret agreed. Seventeen slaves belonging to different masters all made arrangements to escape together. It was in January when this journey began so the Ohio River was frozen and there was smooth snow on the ground. The slaves managed to get a large sled and two horses to pull them through the night. In the morning, they had reached the River below Covington and left the horse and sled there. Margaret, Robert, their four children, and two other slaves went to a former slaves home. It took them a while to find the home and after being seen by many people, pursuers could easily trace them. (The other nine slaves were more fortunate and went up town to friends homes were they remained during night and then were put on the Underground Railroad). Once the masters of the fugitives and officers reached the home were Garner and her family were, they began to break into the house. Many shots were fired by Robert, injuring one of the officers but he was soon overpowered and dragged out of the house. At that moment, Garner realized their hopes of freedom were in vein. She grabbed a butcher knife that was on the table and cut the throat of her little daughter. She tried to take the life of the other children and kill herself, but she was also overpowered and was taken to jail. The trail lasted two weeks and the Commissioner eventually remanded the fugitives back to slavery. The debate was whether or not they were actually free slaves because Garner had been brought into a free state by her master to act as a nurse girl and so she was free at that time and had her children after that. She was also tried for murder but was not found guilty. Margaret Garner died in 1858 from typhoid fever. After she had passed, her husband Robert shouted, "Thank you, God, she has escaped at last!" This is an interesting and moving story that portrayed just how terrible slavery was if a mother wanted to kill her children rather than them being slaves.
What an interesting story. I have to say that this seems to run with the themes of the narrative were reading. Mothers wondering if it was better for their children to die than to live. I suppose I didn't actually think that any mother would do have the heart to do that. However, in the large scope of things it was probably the mothers choice of the lesser of two evils. It really puts things into perspective, showing that slavery was so horrible that people wished themselves dead. It seems like many other slaves it was give her liberty or give her death. The fact that Garner was daring enough to attempt freedom shows her determination. Perhaps as a slave mother killing her child was the best she could provide. You can see lots of parallels in this story between Harriet Jacobs and Garner. Both were mothers with the aim to give their children the opportunity to grow up with different circumstances at whatever the cost. Both made plans to escape. Both pondered if death was a better outcome than being trapped. I wonder if this was true of slave women in general? Perhaps the stress and suffering caused by worry about ones family, for mothers in particular, is what made slavery intolerable. I suppose at the very least unlike Fredrick Douglass their families were allowed to stay together. This surprises me as well considering that Douglass describes there being very few bonds that were allowed to be maintained because of the nature of slavery.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing this story brings up is the legal system. Despite it being in this instance beneficial, it depicts the prejudice and racism even in supposedly "just" institutions of the day. Killing an African American was tolerated. It was nearly as big an offense to society as if a white slave master was murdered. Even if the crime was blatant, Garner remained found not guilty. In my opinion there is no greater of a sign of a corrupt system as one that places the value of one human life over the value of another.