In this opening chapter, Woo invites the reader to consider the global historical context surrounding the story of William and Ellen Craft, an enslaved couple who sought self-emancipation. Across Europe, people pursued reformation and the destruction of powers that controlled their lives. Their collective effort is called the 1848 revolutions. In the United States, colonists expanded westward under the principle of Manifest Destiny while rapid changes redefined American life. Slavery was at the forefront of political discussion.

William and Ellen knew the words to the American Declaration of Independence, even though their status as enslaved people forbid them from reading. In their attempt to escape, William and Ellen did not utilize the Underground Railroad. Instead, they hid in plain sight, disguising themselves as an enslaver and enslaved worker. After their escape, they continued to defy the Fugitive Slave Act by lecturing across the nation. Woo’s retelling of their story is written as a narrative, but every detail, including dialogue, is drawn from historic sources.