Freed Will: The Randolph Freedpeople from Slavery to Settlement
On July 1st, 1846, a canal boat docked in Cincinnati carrying more than just cargo. 383 former slaves from Roanoke, Virginia were headed north to settle in Mercer County, Ohio. Their long journey to freedom did not begin with this voyage, and unfortunately, would not end peacefully on the land that was promised to them by the deathbed wish of their former master, John Randolph. When they finally arrived at St. Mary’s, they were robbed of their inheritance as a makeshift army of white settlers forced them back onto their canal boats. From there they disbursed into smaller settlements in the neighboring towns. Thankfully, not all locals were hostile. The West Branch Quakers, whose meeting minutes are housed at the Lily Library at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, would help them establish a thriving community with a lasting influence on the physical and social landscape of the Miami Valley.
This is a story of nearly 400 brave Americans who were pioneers in a hostile land, and yet still built a legacy. Randolph descendants would fight to become business moguls, baseball players, war heroes, and local legends. However, their story remains largely untold within academia. They are remembered instead by newspapers, historical societies, self-published authors, and most importantly, the memories of living descendants still residing in the area. However, this story goes beyond the local sphere. It speaks truth to slavery, complicating the myth of Northern white purity. It also highlights two sets of heroes: the Quakers and the Randolph Freedpeople. In weaving these threads together, it acts as a portrait of our collective and disparate American identities.
Hadley Drodge graduated in 2017 with a M.A. in History from Wright State University, concentrating in Public History. While in school, she worked as a graduate assistant and completed an internship at the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce where she is currently employed as an archive intern. She presented at both the 2016 and 2017 Wright State Public History Symposiums, the 2016 Digital Humanities conference at Antioch College, and created an exhibit on the history of Dayton funk music for the Northwest Branch of the Dayton Public Library. She currently has an exhibit on display at the National Afro-American Museum that explores the history and legacy of the Randolph Freedpeople, open through November 25th, 2017.
This is a story of nearly 400 brave Americans who were pioneers in a hostile land, and yet still built a legacy. Randolph descendants would fight to become business moguls, baseball players, war heroes, and local legends. However, their story remains largely untold within academia. They are remembered instead by newspapers, historical societies, self-published authors, and most importantly, the memories of living descendants still residing in the area. However, this story goes beyond the local sphere. It speaks truth to slavery, complicating the myth of Northern white purity. It also highlights two sets of heroes: the Quakers and the Randolph Freedpeople. In weaving these threads together, it acts as a portrait of our collective and disparate American identities.
Hadley Drodge graduated in 2017 with a M.A. in History from Wright State University, concentrating in Public History. While in school, she worked as a graduate assistant and completed an internship at the National Afro-American Museum in Wilberforce where she is currently employed as an archive intern. She presented at both the 2016 and 2017 Wright State Public History Symposiums, the 2016 Digital Humanities conference at Antioch College, and created an exhibit on the history of Dayton funk music for the Northwest Branch of the Dayton Public Library. She currently has an exhibit on display at the National Afro-American Museum that explores the history and legacy of the Randolph Freedpeople, open through November 25th, 2017.