Filled with engaging stories and astonishing facts, From Underground
Railroad to Rebel Refuge examines the role of Canadians in the American
Civil War
Despite all we know about the Civil War, its causes, battles,
characters, issues, impacts, and legacy, few books have explored
Canada's role in the bloody conflict that claimed more than 600,000
lives.
A surprising 20,000 Canadians went south to take up arms on both sides
of the conflict, while thousands of enslaved people, draft dodgers,
deserters, recruiters, plotters, and spies fled northward to take
shelter in the attic that is Canada. Though many escaped slavery and
found safety through the Underground Railroad, they were later joined by
KKK members wanted for murder. Confederate President Jefferson Davis
along with several of his emissaries and generals found refuge on
Canadian soil, and many plantation owners moved north of the border.
Award-winning journalist Brian Martin will open eyes in both Canada and
the United States to how the two countries and their citizens interacted
during the Civil War and the troubled times that surrounded it.