Books like Slavery in the United States by Charles Ball

Cora, a woman enslaved on a Georgia cotton plantation, partners with a new slave named Caesar to flee the South. Their daring escape follows a literal underground network of tunnels that mirrors the perilous journey of countless fugitive slaves toward freedom.

Frederick Douglass’s gripping autobiography recounts his journey from enslaved child to influential abolitionist, exposing the brutal realities of slavery and the resilience of those who endured it.

A chilling memoir detailing Solomon Northup's harrowing experience as a captive on a Louisiana plantation for twelve years, from 1841 to 1853.

Biographical account of Harriet Tubman, the 19th‑century African‑American woman who escaped slavery and guided many others to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

David Robertson’s biography of Denmark Vesey, a freed black leader who planned the largest slave rebellion in U.S. history, explores the revolt’s planning, execution, and lasting impact on African American political life.

Raphael explains the central purpose of his "people's history" thusly: "By uncovering the stories of farmers, artisans, and laborers, we discern how plain folk helped create a revolution strong enough to evict the British Empire from the thirteen colonies. And by digging deeper still, we learn how people with no political standing -- women, Native Americans, African Americans -- altered the shape of a war conceived by others." After carefully reconstructing the histories of all these groups, he concludes: "The story of our nation's founding, told so often from the perspective of the 'founding fathers,' will never ring true unless it can take some account of the Massachusetts farmers who closed the courts, the poor men and boys who fought the battles, the women who followed the troops, the loyalists who viewed themselves as rebels, the pacifists who refused to sign oaths of allegiance, the Native Americans who struggled for their own independence, the southern slaves who fled to the British, the northern slaves who negotiated their freedom by joining the Continental Army". Raphael's account rings true: these people made the American Revolution. - Marcus Rediker, University of Pittsburgh.

A first‑hand account of William Wells Brown’s life as an enslaved person in St. Louis and beyond, detailing the harsh realities of slavery and the longing for freedom.

John Parker, a former slave turned prosperous Ripley, Ohio businessman, bravely risked his life to aid fellow slaves escaping via the Underground Railroad.

A graphic novel biography of Nat Turner, the self‑educated African‑American preacher who led the 1831 Southampton County slave revolt, depicting his life, faith, and the historic uprising.

Awesome. Excellent read. Could not put it down.

Covers numerous aspects of slavery, such as court cases; political platforms and parties; influential organizations; abolitionist newspapers; notable writings; and famous figures, both black and white, from writers to agitators for social change.

Mumbet's Declaration of Independence follows the true story of Massachusetts slave Elizabeth Mumbet (circa 1744–1829), who in 1781 used the state constitution to win her freedom.