Free Boy: A True Story of Slave and Master (V. Ethel Willis White Books xx). This item is unavailable.Free Boy: A True Story of Slave and Master (V. Ethel Willis White Books xx)

Free Boy is the story of a 13-year-old slave who escaped from Washington Territory to freedom in Canada on the West's underground railroad. When James Tilton came to Washington Territory as surveyor-general in the 1850s he brought with his household young Charles Mitchell, a slave he had likely received as a wedding gift from a Maryland cousin. The story of Charlie's escape in 1860 on a steamer bound for Victoria and the help he received from free blacks reveals how national issues on the eve of the Civil War were also being played out in the West. Written with young adults in mind, the authors provide the historical context to understand the lives of both Mitchell and Tilton and the time in which the events took place. The biography explores issues of race, slavery, treason, and secession in Washington Territory, making it both a valuable resource for teachers and a fascinating story for readers of all ages. A V Ethel Willis White Book

Dr. Lorraine McConaghy is the public historian at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), in Seattle, and a lecturer in Museum Studies at the University of Washington. She has received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History, the DAR National Heritage Medal for Oral History, the AKCHO Charles Payton Award, and the Annual History Award from the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild. In 2009, MOHAI received three national awards ― from the American Association for State and Local History, the National Council on Public History and the Oral History Association ― based on Lorraine McConaghy’s work. In 2010, she was awarded the Robert Gray Medal, the most distinguished award in Washington State for a historian.

Judy Bentley teaches at South Seattle Community College and is the author of a number of books, including Walking Washington's History: Ten Cities.