The Mystery of Margaret Booker: One Woman’s Triumph Over Enslavement

Margaret Booker, an enslaved Black woman with five children by the man who enslaved her, traveled to freedom in the midst of the American Civil War. From West Virginia to Ohio by buckboard, Margaret’s extraordinary pluck and survival skills fueled her journey and gave her children a chance to grow up in the freedom she had only begun to taste. Once settled, Margaret found family and built a business in a thriving community of free Blacks and Whites.

Accolades:

• Winner, Sons and Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage Book Award
• Winner, International Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Book Award

Kathy Lynne Marshall, the Ancestor Biographer, is a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist on behalf of our ancestors. Her books and workshops enhance the American Historical Record by adding thoroughly researched accounts of enslaved African Americans, women, and other racial groups. Kathy has addressed the Sons and Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage conference and consulted for West Virginia’s Beverly Heritage Center.