Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom · Concepts

Concepts

Ideas that structure Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William Craft — linked to characters, chapters, and questions.

Freedom and Liberty
The central theme of the book, as William and Ellen Craft risk everything to escape slavery and obtain the inalienable rights promised by the Declaration of Independence, highlighting the contrast between their enslavement and the freedom they seek.
Dehumanization of Slavery
The narrative repeatedly emphasizes how slaves are treated as chattels, deprived of legal rights, and subjected to brutal practices like family separation and sale, reducing human beings to property.
Family Separation
The book details the painful reality of families being torn apart, as seen in the sale of William's parents, brother, and sister, and Ellen's separation from her mother, underscoring the cruelty of the slave system.
Race and Identity
Ellen's near-white appearance and the inclusion of cases like Salome Muller's challenge the notion that slavery is based solely on race, revealing how identity and freedom are manipulated by a system that disregards color when profitable.