
The shoemaker who helped slaves escape the South
History Extra podcast
09/18/23
•52m
About
Comments
Featured In
Thomas Smallwood, a formerly enslaved shoemaker, helped hundreds of people to flee from slavery in the American South in the 1840s. Speaking to Elinor Evans, Scott Shane shares Smallwood’s remarkable story, and reveals how he was known for writing a cache of anonymous satirical letters that included the first use of the term ‘underground railroad’.
(Ad) Scott Shane is the author of Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland (Celadon, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flee-North-Forgotten-Slaverys-Borderland/dp/1250843219/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode

Scandals that shocked Georgian Britain
September 17, 2023
•32m
From torrid affairs and messy duels to corrupt law-enforcers and vengeful ghosts, Georgian Britain loved a good scandal. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, historian and author Emily Brand dishes the dirt on cases that shocked, appalled – and captivated – Georgian society.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode

Chaos & violence in country houses
September 19, 2023
•41m
We think of English houses as idyllic locations for an afternoon out, but as Stephanie Barczewski reveals, many have a more turbulent and violent history than we might expect. From the wholesale destruction of the Reformation and the damage caused by the Civil War, to financial instability and the influence of empire, Stephanie tells Elinor Evans more about the fascinating hidden histories of these beloved beauty spots.
(Ad) Stephanie Barczewski is the author of How the Country House Became English (Reaktion Books, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Country-House-Became-English/dp/1789147603/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted




