First edition of the autobiography of Jermain Wesley Loguen (1813–1872), the “Underground Railroad King,” a prominent abolitionist and an early bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Born into slavery, Loguen successfully escaped bondage at the age of 21, later settling in upstate New York and Canada. He is credited with aiding an estimated 1,500 individuals to escape enslavement, offering refuge in his Syracuse home and assisting many in crossing the border into Canada.

In contrast to Frederick Douglass and many others who purchased their freedom to ensure long-term safety, Loguen argued that doing so would compromise his “God-given gift of freedom.” He famously rebuked the wife of his former enslaver, Sarah Loguen, who wrote demanding $1,000 in compensation. His scathing reply was published in the 27 April 1860 issue of The Liberator.

An exceptional memoir by one of the most important conductors on the Underground Railroad.