Joseph Rodney – Freedom Seeker on the Illinois Central Railroad

This presentation tells the story of Joseph, who was enslaved on a plantation in Mississippi County, Missouri, and of his escape to Cairo, Illinois, in 1855. A free woman of color living in the town purchased a ticket for him on the Illinois Central Railroad to Chicago. Joseph dodged slave catchers while his enslaver, Thomas Rodney, followed close behind on another train. Joseph and Thomas met on the street outside the train station in Chicago, but Joseph was able to escape to freedom with the help of "friends" on the Underground Railroad. 

In a historic case, Thomas Rodney brought suit against the Illinois Central Railroad Company for selling Joseph a ticket. The first trial was held in the historic Thebes Courthouse and eventually reached the Illinois Supreme Court. The significant decision of the court was that all persons in Illinois are assumed to be free regardless of skin color. Passengers on railroads in the state did not have to prove their freedom before obtaining a ticket.

This presentation will help the audience better imagine the flight of Joseph by viewing records of his enslavement in Missouri and photographs from his time of individuals and places significant to his story. Modern photographs help bridge the past with the present and help viewers connect with the story of Joseph, a freedom seeker.