Listen to this passage as you read! (Roll over the questions to see the answers) When was this book published? Pennington writes that he escaped from slavery in 1828. How many years had passed until he was able to write this book? What can you tell about the author from this page? In your opinion, why may he have written the book? Why do you think this book was published in London? Who do you think would read this book? What would you be doing on a Sunday afternoon in November? What does Pennington say slaves usually did on the Sabbath? The word “plantation” referred to any farm, large or small. From what Pennington says here, how large do you think the plantation where he lived was? What clues can you find to help you make this decision? “Forenoon” means morning, the part of the day before noon. What are the two “difficulties” Pennington feels might stop his plans to escape? Would you feel the same way? How would you describe Pennington’s mood? How does the information here help you think about the focus question: What were some of the factors people had to consider as they thought about escaping from slavery? Close Window