Jeanine Michna-Bales

Through Darkness to Light: Seeking Freedom on the Underground Railroad They left during the middle of the night – oftentimes carrying little more than the knowledge that moss grows on the north side of trees. An estimated 100,000 American slaves between 1830 and the end of The Civil War in...
Through Darkness to Light: Seeking Freedom on the Underground Railroad They left during the middle of the night – oftentimes carrying little more than the knowledge that moss grows on the north side of trees. An estimated 100,000 American slaves between 1830 and the end of The Civil War in 1865 chose to embark on this journey of untold hardships in search of freedom. They moved in constant fear of being killed outright or recaptured then returned and beaten as an example of what would happen to others who might choose to run. Under the cover of darkness, ‘fugitives’ traveled roughly 20 miles each night traversing rugged terrain while enduring all the hardships that Mother Nature could bring to bear. Occasionally, they were guided from one secret, safe location to the next by an ever-changing, clandestine group known as the Underground Railroad. Whether they were slaves trying to escape or free blacks and whites trying to help, both sides risked everything for the cause of freedom. From the cotton plantations just South of Natchitoches, Louisiana all the way north to the Canadian border, this series of photographs can help us imagine what the long road to freedom may have looked like as seen through the eyes of one of those who made this epic journey. This body of work is meant to shine new light on an essential part of United States’ history and has meaning for us all. It crosses gender, age, geographical and racial lines – making it the first American Civil Rights Movement. Many books have been written on the topic over the years, but because of the secretive nature of the Underground Railroad itself, there is very little visual documentation. The unnumbered routes of the Underground Railroad encompassed countless square miles. The route I am almost finished documenting covered roughly 2,000 miles. A traveling exhibition and publication are currently being organized.
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Decision to Leave; Magnolia Plantation on the Cane River, Louisiana
Cypress Swamp; Middle Mississippi
Hidden Passageway; Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
'Underground Railroad'; Crossing The River Jordan; Ohio River
Hunter's Bottom; Just Across the Ohio River; Outside of Madison, Indiana
Follow the Drinking Gourd; Jefferson County, Indiana
On the Way to the Hicklin House Station; San Jacinto, Indiana
Friend or Foe? Station Just Outside of Metamora, Indiana
Look for the Grey Barn Out Back; Centerville, Indiana
Freedom; Canadian Soil; Sarnia, Ontario