On the Trail

NOTE: I apologize to my blog followers. We have had great difficulty getting internet connection while in Charlestown, IN. I am writing the events of each day in a Word Document but am hoping when I get to Ohio, we will get internet and I can post what I have written. To those of you that have texted or called – we are ok. No worries. J



Cycling route from Charlestown to New Albany

 Tuesday
Most of today was spent driving – so not very exciting. We left Michigan early Tuesday, the weather was great.  Rod did an amazing job driving with the trailer (which is fairly big and tricky to manoeuvre on some roads!) and we arrived in Charlestown State Park in Indiana early evening. The park is lovely; however, there isn’t internet connection like there was at the other campsite. I will write each day and then update when we get somewhere with an internet connection.

Wednesday
Distance Travelled via truck: 900km
Distance Travelled via bicycle today: 33km

We woke up to sunny skies and warm temperatures (temp between 75-82 F). After taking care of some logistics, Audrey and I set out on our bikes.  We cycled from Charlestown to Jeffersonville, Indiana. This is about 33km or the distance from Lake Ontario to North Milton! Progress initially was slow as the trail was VERY hilly! At some points, going up hill required walking our bikes up the hill and sometimes going down the hills had us at speeds of over 50km per hour!  

While cycling today, with my fancy bike, my cushy cycling shorts, my helmet, my Gatorade drink stops and picnic lunch, after having had a hot shower this morning and breakfast, I tried to imagine fugitive slaves covering the same distance we did today but walking or running while being pursued – with their lives on the line! Not to mention that food was probably scarce or non-existence for them and they didn’t sleep in a warm bed before setting out on their journey for the day. As much as I am trying to re-trace footsteps of those who where escaping slavery – I really have little idea of what they went  through and can only imagine what it is like to run for  my life.

 While biking the trail, much of today’s trip, circled around the towns, in round about ways, keeping to less travelled roads. Audrey wondered if it was planned like that to simulate how the slaves sometimes had to go miles out of their way to avoid certain obstacles or capture.



Ohio River from 'Free State' Indiana.



 We also spent a good portion of our ride today alongside the Ohio River, a crucial milestone for many fugitives! Prior to 1850, fugitive slaves only needed to make it to a free state (in most cases, crossing the Ohio River). After 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. This meant that regardless of where a slave was in the United States, they could be captured and returned to their owners. People in Northern or Free States HAD to return the slaves to their owners or risk punishment (which many of them risked anyway in order to help fugitives). The only place that they would be free is if they made it to Canada.

However, when we were in Buxton the other day, I learned that many slave catchers crossed into Canada and often re-captured slaves to return them to the U.S. This was illegal but happened nonetheless. Sometimes the slave catchers captured ‘Free Blacks’ like those living in Buxton or other border town settlements. Some of these people has been born free and were taken to the U.S. and sold as a slave at a slave auction anyway so the slave catchers could make money.

I also found out that one of the churches in Buxton where both blacks and whites worshipped had a special place for the blacks to sit and not for the reason you think! Slave catchers tried to capture slaves during church services, where many people were congregated together. The black members of the church sat in an area where there were trap doors in the floor. If the church was invaded, the others would try to distract the slave catchers so the former-fugitives could escape through these special trap doors! This church is still in existence today.  Very clever!!

On the agenda for tomorrow (Thursday) is a trip to Museum in New Albany, Indiana – Ordinary People/Extraordinary Courage and to Louisville, Kentucky – a little Civil Rights history and a little baseball history. Can’t wait!

Ohio River from the 'Slave State' of Kentucky



Along the trail