Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America

Henrietta Wood was born into slavery, taken to Cincinnati, and legally freed in 1848. In 1853, a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward colluded with Wood's employer, abducted her, and sold her back into bondage. She remained enslaved throughout the Civil War and sued Ward for damages in 1870, winning her case in 1878. McDaniel's book is an epic tale of a black woman who survived slavery twice and achieved more than a moral victory over one of her oppressors.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 23 September 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The remarkable story of one enslaved woman's relentless pursuit of justice and reparations unfolds in this captivating book. Born into slavery, Henrietta Wood was legally freed in 1848 after being taken to Cincinnati. However, her freedom was short-lived when she was abducted by a Kentucky deputy sheriff named Zebulon Ward in 1853, who colluded with her employer. Sold back into bondage, she endured the hardships of slavery throughout the Civil War, giving birth to a son in Mississippi. Despite her hardships, Wood never forgot the person who had condemned her to a life of servitude.

After enduring eight long years of legal battles, Wood finally secured her freedom for a second time in 1869 and returned to Cincinnati. In 1870, she filed a lawsuit against Ward, seeking damages for the years of enslavement and trauma she had endured. To her astonishment, after eight years of arduous litigation, Wood emerged victorious. In 1878, a Federal jury awarded her a staggering $2,500, the largest ever awarded by an American court in restitution for slavery.

What made this case even more significant was the fact that any money was awarded at all. By the time the decision was made, Ward had become a wealthy businessman and a pioneer of convict leasing in the South. Wood's son later became a prominent Chicago lawyer, and she lived until 1912.

McDaniel's book is an epic tale of a black woman who not only survived slavery twice but also achieved a moral victory over one of her oppressors. Above all, "Sweet Taste of Liberty" is a poignant portrait of an extraordinary individual and a searing reminder of the profound lessons learned from her story. It establishes beyond any doubt the connections between slavery and the prison system that emerged in its place.

This book is a testament to the resilience and determination of the human spirit, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. Henrietta Wood's story continues to inspire and empower us to fight for a world where every person is valued and treated with dignity and respect.

Weight: 426g
Dimension: 140 x 210 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197564288