On July 4, 1842, Caroline Quarlls–an enslaved 16 year old girl living in St. Louis–made the life changing choice to seek her own freedom. On that day, Caroline left her enslaver’s home in Missouri and began a journey to Canada that would first take her to Milwaukee, a growing city in the Wisconsin Territory. Along the way, she encountered a number of people who assisted with her successful passage to freedom.

In this virtual presentation, the audience meets Caroline in 1880, 38 years after her journey to Canada.  She has just received a letter from Mr. Lyman Goodnow, the man who escorted her from Wisconsin to Canada, and is preparing a letter in response to that correspondence.

Caroline Quarlls–My Independence Day is a powerful, professionally acted first person performance based on a series of letters written between Caroline and Lyman.  These rare primary source documents are now held as part of the Civil War Museum’s permanent archival collection.

Presented by Dr. Shannon Sloan-Spice and Doug Dammann of The Civil War Museum in Kenosha,WI.

Email mweyeneth@dunlaplibrary.org for the Zoom registration link.