Sweet Taste of Liberty : A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America

"In Sweet Taste of Liberty, W. Caleb McDaniel focuses on the experience of a freed slave who was sold back into slavery, eventually freed again, and who then sued the man who had sold her back into bondage. Henrietta Wood was born into slavery, but in 1848, she was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed. In 1855, however, a wealthy Kentucky businessman named Zebulon Ward, who colluded with Wood's employer, abducted Wood and sold her back into bondage. In the years that followed before and during the Civil War, she gave birth to a son and was forced to march to Texas. She obtained her freedom a second time after the war and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for $20,000 in damages--now known as reparations. Astonishingly, after ten years of litigation, Henrietta Wood won her case. In 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500 and the decision stuck on appeal. While nowhere close to the amount she had demanded, this may be the largest amount of money ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery. Wood went on to live until 1912"--;Part I. The worst slave of them all -- The crossing -- Touseytown -- Down river -- Ward's return -- Cincinnati -- The plan -- The flight -- Part II. Forks in the road -- Raising a muss -- Wood versus Ward -- The keeper -- Natchez -- Brandon Hall -- Versailles -- Revolution -- The march -- Part III. The return of Henrietta Wood -- Arthur -- Robertson County -- Dawn and doom -- Nashville -- A rather interesting case -- Story of a slave -- The verdict. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for HistoryThe unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman's fight for justice--and reparationsBorn into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood's employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi and never forgetting who had put her in this position.By 1869, Wood had obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages in 1870. Astonishingly, after eight years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amount, though the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery, was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the case was decided, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood's son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she went on to live until 1912.McDaniel's book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and who achieved more than merely a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all, Sweet Taste of Liberty is a portrait of an extraordinary individual as well as a searing reminder of the lessons of her story, which establish beyond question the connections between slavery and the prison system that rose in its place. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History The unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman's fight for justice#8212;and reparations Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood's employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi and never forgetting who had put her in this position. By 1869, Wood had obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages in 1870. Astonishingly, after eight years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amount, though the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery, was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the case was decided, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood's son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she went on to live until 1912. McDaniel's book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and who achieved more than merely a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all, Sweet Taste of Liberty is a portrait of an extraordinary individual as well as a searing reminder of the lessons of her story, which establish beyond question the connections between slavery and the prison system that rose in its place Cover 1 Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Prologue 26 Part I: The Worst Slave of Them All 34 1. The Crossing 36 2. Touseytown 42 3. Downriver 50 4. Ward’s Return 63 5. Cincinnati 69 6. The Plan 79 7. The Flight 92 Part II: Forks of the Road 98 8. Raising a Muss 100 9. Wood V. Ward 108 10. The Keeper 116 11. Natchez 128 12. Brandon Hall 136 13. Versailles 145 14. Revolution 160 15. The March 170 Part III: The Return of Henrietta Wood 176 16. Arthur 178 17. Robertson County 184 18. Dawn and Doom 191 19. Nashville 203 20. A Rather Interesting Case 214 21. Story of a Slave 227 22. The Verdict 235 Epilogue 251 Acknowledgments 266 Appendix: An essay on Sources 270 Notes 284 Prologue 284 Chapter One 286 Chapter Two 288 Chapter Three 291 Chapter Four 295 Chapter Five 296 Chapter Six 298 Chapter Seven 301 Chapter Eight 303 Chapter Nine 305 Chapter Ten 307 Chapter Eleven 309 Chapter Twelve 312 Chapter Thirteen 314 Chapter Fourteen 318 Chapter Fifteen 320 Chapter Sixteen 322 Chapter Seventeen 325 Chapter Eighteen 326 Chapter Nineteen 328 Chapter Twenty 332 Chapter Twenty-one 336 Chapter Twenty-two 337 Epilogue 340 Appendix: An Essay on Sources 347 Index 351 The unforgettable saga of one enslaved woman's fight for justice - and reparations Born into slavery, in 1848 Henrietta Wood was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed by her owner. In 1855, a Kentucky businessman named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood's employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved through the Civil War, and for two years after it had ended. In 1867, she obtained her freedom for a second time and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for damages. Astonishingly, after ten years of litigation, Wood won her case: in 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500. The decision stuck on appeal. More important than the amountthe largest to date ever awarded by an American court as restitution for slaverywas the fact that any money was awarded at all. Against all odds, Wood had triumphed over Ward, who had become a prison warden, amassing wealth off the labor of convicts who were former slaves. Wood went on to live until 1912. McDaniel's book tells an epic tale, that of a black woman who struggled against a monolithic system of oppression and achieved more than merely a moral victory over it. Above all, Sweet Taste of Liberty is a tribute to and a portrait of an extraordinary individual. "En Sweet Taste of Liberty, W. Caleb McDaniel se centra en la experiencia de una esclava liberada que fue vendida de nuevo como esclava y que, tras ser finalmente liberada, demandó al hombre que la había vendido. Henrietta Wood nació en la esclavitud, pero en 1848 fue llevada a Cincinnati y liberada legalmente. Sin embargo, en 1855, un acaudalado hombre de negocios de Kentucky llamado Zebulon Ward, en connivencia con el empleador de Wood, la secuestró y la volvió a vender como esclava. En los años siguientes, antes y durante la Guerra Civil, dio a luz a un hijo y fue llevada a Texas. Obtuvo su libertad por segunda vez después de la guerra y regresó a Cincinnati, donde demandó a Ward por 20.000 dólares en concepto de daños y perjuicios, lo que se conoce como reparación. Sorprendentemente, tras diez años de litigio, Henrietta Wood ganó su caso. En 1878, un jurado federal le concedió 2.500 dólares y la decisión se mantuvo en apelación. Aunque no se acercaba a la cantidad que había exigido, puede que sea la mayor cantidad de dinero concedida por un tribunal estadounidense en concepto de restitución por la esclavitud. Wood vivió hasta 1912._ Editorial "In Sweet Taste of Liberty, W. Caleb McDaniel focuses on the experience of a freed slave who was sold back into slavery, eventually freed again, and who then sued the man who had sold her back into bondage. Henrietta Wood was born into slavery, but in 1848, she was taken to Cincinnati and legally freed. In 1855, however, a wealthy Kentucky businessman named Zebulon Ward, who colluded with Wood's employer, abducted Wood and sold her back into bondage. In the years that followed before and during the Civil War, she gave birth to a son and was forced to march to Texas. She obtained her freedom a second time after the war and returned to Cincinnati, where she sued Ward for $20,000 in damages--now known as reparations. Astonishingly, after ten years of litigation, Henrietta Wood won her case. In 1878, a Federal jury awarded her $2,500 and the decision stuck on appeal. While nowhere close to the amount she had demanded, this may be the largest amount of money ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery. Wood went on to live until 1912"-- Provided by publisher