We’ve probably each read several dozen books addressing slavery in America at the time of the War Between the States. There are just gobs of them – many skewed in perspective, some accurate – but they’re very common. I started Jump Ship to Freedom thinking it would be the same formula – abused slave escaping from oppressive master, escapades with savage bounty hunters, labeling of the South as Johnny Rebs, etc. But Jump Ship to Freedom is unique - it addresses slavery in America during the 1780s. And it’s really, really interesting.The Story.Young Daniel Arabus is proud of his father. A former slave, Jack Arabus won his freedom by fighting in the War for American Independence under General George Washington and rendering him exceptional service. By fighting in the war, Mr. Arabus had earned his freedom and he planned on using his soldier’s pay to purchase the freedom of his wife and son. But while waiting for these Continental notes to become of value, Mr. Arabus died and Captain Ivers (Daniel’s master) stole the notes in the hopes of keeping Daniel and his mother enslaved.Our story begins as Daniel and his mother recover these notes. Although Captain Ivers suspects Daniel of the ‘theft’ he is unable to prove it and Daniel adamantly denies any involvement in the business. Unable to punish him, Captain Ivers puts Daniel to work on the Junius Brutus, a cargo ship. Halfway through their voyage, Daniel discovers that Captain Ivers plans to sell him once they reach the West Indies.When circumstances conspire to his advantage, Daniel manages to escape to New York where he must seek out Sam Fraunces, his father’s friend and the man who helped his Aunt Willy escape from slavery. Will Daniel be able to find Black Sam? Will the Continental notes be valuable or worthless? Will Daniel and his mother ever be free?Discussion.As is natural for a book whose protagonist is a young slave seeking to be free, the question of slavery/inherent quality is addressed. Daniel himself was taught by his master to deprecate his own intelligence as compared to that of white people and he often refers to himself as a ‘darky’. But as the story progresses, Daniel is forced to use his own intelligence to navigate through tricky situations and he comes into contact with men who believe that the color of a man’s skin does not determine his intelligence or worth.One of the more interesting parts of the book for me came in the last few chapters when Daniel meets Mr. Fatherscreft and other delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It is as he listens to these men discuss the issue that he finally comes to understand slavery and freedom. I appreciated this statement from Mr. Fatherscreft:"There have been new nations. But always in the past they've come out of war or conquest. Never before have nations come together to settle for themselves what manner of government they shall have. For really, Daniel, each of the united states has been acting like an independent little country in most ways. But if we can compromise our differences between farmers and merchants, and especially between states dependent on slaves and those with few of them, Daniel, we will have done what has never been done before. We will have peaceably combined twelve or thirteen little republics into one great one." [pg. 157]Although Daniel is separated from his mother, he often thinks of her and dreams of the day when they will be free. He also looks to his dead father as a role model and wonders what he would do in various situations.Conclusion. A solid piece of historical fiction, this book contained lots of interesting incidents - storms at sea, chases through the back alleys of New York, meetings with General George Washington - and covered meaningful issues. It had enough twisty-turnies to keep me interested, so I’m sure it would do well for its intended age group.Visit The Blithering Bookster to read more reviews.www.blitheringbookster.com
SEWING THE SEEDS OF THE CIVIL WARThis book is Volume 2 of the Arabus Family History. I have not read the first volume, about his father who was paid by his owner to serve in his stead during the American Revolution. How he helped General Washington and earned the respect of many white men and a certain fame among Blacks. But this book stands on its own merit. Fourteen-year-old Daniel Arabus and his mother are slaves in Connecticut, the property of Captain Ivers. Their secret dream is to buy their freedom with the soldiers' notes (military scrip) which Daniel's father had earned for his war service. That is--if there ever is a federal government which will honor those notes. Daniel is obsessed with obtaining those notes for the future--his owners virtually stole them from his mother. So he concocts a clever plan to steal them back, but sets in motion a chain of events which threatens to take him by ship to be sold down in the West Indies' cane fields--a kind of liviing hell. He must use both his and courage, plus call on his father's memory, in order to combat his harsh master, a string of bad luck and his own poor judgment. But he remains true to the way his brave father would want him to behave--even honoring a promise to a man on his deathbed, despite his natural desire to save his own neck. Daniel becomes the unwilling messenger for a major political issue as the delegates meet in Philadelphia to write our honored but much-maligned Constitution. A scrappy youth proves his integrity and true grit--honoring his father's memory--as he meets some famous men in post Revolutionary history. An exciting book which will captivate readers while instructing them about our American past in an entertaining manner. (May 17, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
What do You think about Jump Ship To Freedom (1987)?
I listened to this book on my MP3 player. It's told through the voice of a 14 year old run away slave. It's historical fiction. The boy Daniel, has stolen his dead father's Revolutionary War papers. His father had been promised his freedom, if he took his masters place in the war. His master wanted him back after the war, and the father sued his master for his freedom. Daniel and his mother were still held in slavery. The mother got her husbands papers, which included vouchers for payment for service in the war. If a country were to form, the vouchers could be used to free the wife and her son from slavery. The masters wife talked her slave into giving her the papers for safe keeping. Daniel stole the papers, and ran with them. He ends up carrying a message to members, who decided on forming one country.
—Nancy
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier is about a boy named Daniel Arabus. He was born into a family of slavery, and therefore became a slave. His father was said to be a brave, strong man that died at sea shortly after Daniel's birth. His father fought in the Revolutionary war, and was granted his freedom after doing so. His soldier notes were left to his family after his death to allow Daniel and his mother to buy their freedom once the notes were granted a certain amount of money after the constitution was to be made. Daniel bravely voyages to New York from Connecticut with news from a dying congressman to be carried to the Constitutional Convention. This book takes place on the East coast of America during the late 19th century, after the Revolutionary War, but before the passing of the Constitution af the United States of America. Daniel and his mother are treated very poorly, and are taken for granted by their owners like other slaves at the time. These elements give the story a theme of sadness, yet apprehension at the fact that anything could happen next in Daniel's journey. Some elements of the story are true such as the characters, but some of the events in te plot such as an enslaved boy bringing news to the Constitutional Convention are not proven true. I would recommend this book to people who like stories about history, and slavery.
—Tyler Leptich
Jump Ship to Freedom By: James Lincoln and Christopher Collier Book Reviewttttttttt Brian Bredemann ttttttttt Reading 8-McG ttttttttBook Review 4/14/08tIf you enjoy historical fiction, then you will love Jump Ship to Freedom. This novel is about a fourteen year-old slave boy named Daniel Arabus, who works for a merchant named Captain Ivers and his wife, along with his mother. Daniel’s father had served six years in the United States Army, receiving money for being a slave to gain his freedom. He drowned during a storm on a ship, leaving Daniel and his mother with soldier’s notes that will give them money for their freedom, if Congress approves the notes. For “safekeeping”, Mrs. Ivers holds tightly onto the notes.tThe story begins in Stratford, Connecticut with Daniel successfully and secretly retrieving the notes from Mrs. Ivers. The next day, Daniel’s dreams of becoming a sailor come true when Captain Ivers takes him on a voyage. Daniel hopes the captain will travel to New York, where the Congress is meeting, but instead the ship is heading for the West Indies, where Daniel is to be sold into slavery forever. A storm takes the ship off course back to New York. There, Daniel escapes and meets Peter Fatherscreft, a friend of his father. Fatherscreft tells Daniel that the delegate of Stratford, William Samuel Johnson, has traveled to Philadelphia. So, with Captain Ivers and his crew on his tail, Daniel travels with Fatherscreft to Philadelphia, who has to deliver a message to Congress but dies of an illness along the way. Alone, Daniel makes it to the Congress, meets Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, and finally gets the notes approved by Johnson, winning freedom for him and his mother.tThis book does a good job at describing historical information in such little space. The characters were convincing and determined, the scenery was fantastic, and the storyline made sense. However, I did feel that there were some loose ends that did not tie to the ending of the book.tOverall, I still would recommend this book to history lovers and out of ten, I would give this book a six.
—Brian
