The Pearl

Anacostia Unmapped

This map was never drawn. It had to be memorized. It led the way through early Washington City, where buildings we all know — like the Capitol and the Smithsonian "castle" — were only halfway built. The map led to freedom, to a schooner called The Pearl. It was the escape plan of slaves. Anacostia Unmapped contributor John Johnson has the story. Photo: "Male adult slave escaping by way of a river" via The New York Public Library Digital Collections