1864: Burst to Freedom

By Mr. Gregory Alexander Smorol

On December 6th, 1859, The London Spectator wrote "We have never entertained a doubt that the condition of the Southern slaves is the best and most desirable for the Negroes, as a class, that they have ever been found in or are capable of. There is abundant evidence to prove that the black man's lot as a slave is vastly preferable to that of his free brethren at the North." Later, in reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, they wrote "The Union government liberates the enemy's slaves as it would the enemy's cattle, simply to weaken them in the conflict. The principle is not that a human being cannot justly own another, but that he cannot own him unless he is loyal to the United States." During World War II, Hitler undeniably conducted his campaign of murder and mayhem. Yet in 2002, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran referred to gas chambers in concentration camps as a story about which its truth was "not clear" and which was being used as "Zionist propaganda" to gain the sympathy of the world. In 2005 he called the Nazi extermination of the Jews "a myth". In 2014, anyone can use Google to find an endless supply of articles and books defending slavery and discrimination. It is too easy to push past horrors into a closet and shut the door, pretending they did not exist. The arts are an excellent tool to fight that loss of memory and remind civilization of its responsibilities. RACISM and DISCRIMINATION exist today! The United States, and the world, needs to keep reminding itself of the horrors of its past lest it repeat them. This play attempts to help with that daunting task. During the Civil War slaves in South Carolina were moving to the safety of Hilton Head Island where General Ormsby M. Mitchel helped them begin free lives in their own community, named Mitchelville. In "1864:Burst to Freedom" a slave family executes a daring escape from an inland plantation owned by racist Thomas Haburt, and run by a ruthless slave master, John Wickens. Hannah, lighter skinned, has children from both Thomas Haburt, the plantation owner, and Daniel, the slave who lives with her. She regards Thomas Haburt as a vile man that can legally abuse her, but will never be able to take away her dignity. Daniel is the man she loves, but she is prepared to leave him to protect her children. Daniel is an intelligent man who has the guile and fortitude to win their freedom, but he faces conflict wherever he turns.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1495420728
• ISBN13: 9781495420726
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 104 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.2" x 7.5"