Cecelia and Fanny : The Remarkable Friendship Between an Escaped Slave and Her Former Mistress

**The lifelong link between a formerly enslaved woman and her childhood mistress provides a unique view of life in Reconstruction era Louisville.** Born into slavery, Cecelia Reynolds was presented as a birthday gift to her nine-year-old mistress, Frances "Fanny" Thruston Ballard. Years later, Cecelia escaped to join the free black population of Canada. But what might have been the end of her connection to Fanny appears to be only the beginning. A cache of letters from Fanny to Cecelia tells of a rare link between two urban families over several decades. __Cecelia and Fanny__ is a fascinating look at race relations in mid-nineteenth-century Louisville, Kentucky, focusing on the experiences of these two families during the seismic social upheaval wrought by the emancipation of four million African Americans. Far more than the story of two families, __Cecelia and Fanny__ delves into the history of Civil War-era Louisville. Author Brad Asher details the cultural roles assigned to the two women and provides a unique view of slavery in an urban context, as opposed to the rural plantations more often examined by historians.

Cecelia was a fifteen-year-old slave when she accompanied her mistress, Frances "Fanny" Thruston Ballard, on a holiday trip to Niagara Falls. During their stay, Cecelia crossed the Niagara River and joined the free black population of Canada. Although documented relationships between freed or escaped slaves and their former owners are rare, the discovery of a cache of letters from the former slave owner to her escaped slave confirms this extraordinary link between two urban families over several decades. Cecelia and Fanny: The Remarkable Friendship between an Escaped Slave and Her Former Mistress is a fascinating look at race relations in mid-nineteenth-century Louisville, Kentucky, focusing on the experiences of these two families during the seismic social upheaval wrought by the emancipation of four million African Americans. Far more than the story of two families, Cecelia and Fanny delves into the history of Civil War–era Louisville. Author Brad Asher details the cultural roles assigned to the two women and provides a unique view of slavery in an urban context, as opposed to the rural plantations more often examined by historians.

Historian Asher (Beyond the Reservation: Indians, Settlers, and the Law in Washington Territory, 1853 1889) tells a remarkable story here that focuses on the experiences of two women, Fanny Thurston Ballard, a privileged daughter of a Louisville, KY, merchant, and her childhood personal slave, Cecelia. When the opportunity for freedom came on a visit to Niagara Falls with her mistress, Cecelia escaped to Canada. --Publisher Eight minutes from freedom Fanny : learning to be a slave owner Cecelia : learning about being a slave Fanny : a woman's place Cecelia : a family in freedom Fanny : the Civil War in Louisville Cecelia : a new life in Rochester Fanny : postwar trials Cecelia : back in Louisville Conclusion : the bonds of slavery.