Paper Summary:

This paper examines and analyzes James Williams' novel "Fugitive slave in the Gold Rush: Life and Adventures of James Williams" written by a former slave who ventured West in search of a new life. The story tells how Williams escaped slavery as he first went North, hoping to aid in the abolitionist movement. It also explores Williams' views on race, freedom and equality, which evolve through the book. The review concludes by describing Williams' experiences with the racist policies in California which determined which ethic groups could enter and remain in the State in the 19th century.

From the Paper:

"As a black child growing up in the period before the civil war in a world in which he and his family had been slaves, James Williams wanted to escape slavery by running to a state where abolitionists were practiced to a large scale. Williams' story emerged along with several other accounts of black men having escaped slavery and became a hallmark for black escapees of the era."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Lapp, M. Rudolph. "Fugitive Slave in the Gold Rush: Life and Adventures of James Williams". California History, Vol. 83, Spring 2005.
• Williams, James. "Fugitive Slave in the Gold Rush: Life and Adventures of James Williams". University of Nebraska Press: 2002

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