MARGARET GARNER describes the world of mulatto American slave mother, Margaret Garner, who killed her child to prevent its return to slavery. The book includes Margaret's 1856 escape from slavery in Kentucky, the tragic capture and child murder, plus her controversial trial that took place in a slavery-friendly town within a free state. Caputo's book also highlights the selling of mulatto women like Margaret for sexual bondage.
Margaret's two owners were sons of a tavern owner and brothers who likely became her father and uncle. One was a former Governor of Oregon appointed by the U.S. President. The other was a possible batterer who may have killed his wife the year before choosing Margaret as a sex slave. Following her marriage to "Black" slave Simon Garner, Margaret's first child was listed as "Black" in the federal census. Her subsequent three children, born after the arrival of her owner/uncle, were described by news journalists as "light-skinned," "lighter than their mother" and "light enough to show the pink in its cheeks." Margaret's precarious slave life was witnessed by the county's wealthiest white couple who were her neighbors. They were also leaders in the nearby Presbyterian Church, which struggled with slavery's moral issues. Their daughter-in-law, the minister's wife, stood with Margaret at her baptism. Largely pregnant with the master's third child, Margaret promised to live a moral and upstanding life.
Read more about Margaret, including Interviews with her and her husband (a Civil War veteran), in Joanne Caputo's MARGARET GARNER. The book also includes information about the 1998 archeological excavation results on Margaret's enslaved home. Inspired by Caputo's research, the investigation revealed 19th century evidence that calls on us to dig deeper.
Margaret's two owners were sons of a tavern owner and brothers who likely became her father and uncle. One was a former Governor of Oregon appointed by the U.S. President. The other was a possible batterer who may have killed his wife the year before choosing Margaret as a sex slave. Following her marriage to "Black" slave Simon Garner, Margaret's first child was listed as "Black" in the federal census. Her subsequent three children, born after the arrival of her owner/uncle, were described by news journalists as "light-skinned," "lighter than their mother" and "light enough to show the pink in its cheeks." Margaret's precarious slave life was witnessed by the county's wealthiest white couple who were her neighbors. They were also leaders in the nearby Presbyterian Church, which struggled with slavery's moral issues. Their daughter-in-law, the minister's wife, stood with Margaret at her baptism. Largely pregnant with the master's third child, Margaret promised to live a moral and upstanding life.
Read more about Margaret, including Interviews with her and her husband (a Civil War veteran), in Joanne Caputo's MARGARET GARNER. The book also includes information about the 1998 archeological excavation results on Margaret's enslaved home. Inspired by Caputo's research, the investigation revealed 19th century evidence that calls on us to dig deeper.
"Although volumes of material have been written to describe the mysterious and clandestine activities of the Underground Railroad, the story remained incomplete until Ms. Caputo uncovered the tragic saga of the actual enslaved mother, Margaret Garner, and the spirit of love, struggle and sacrifice that Margaret represents. It is no coincidence that Caputo’s (book) sets the soul of Margaret Garner free at the dawning of the 21st century."
– Charles Blockson, Author of The Underground Railroad
– Charles Blockson, Author of The Underground Railroad
Above: "Slave Market" ca. 1850-1860; Carnegie Museum of Art
© 2008-20 Joanne Caputo
