Teen Fugitive Who Crossed Oceans

In the 1840s, 15-year-old enslaved Black teen Thomas White escaped bondage and went on to evade slave catchers while surviving as a cook, lumberjack, and sailor across Australia, India, and other distant ports. His dictated story, recorded by his employer’s family and then hidden in their papers for more than 150 years, resurfaced in 2025 when tattered pages were rediscovered in storage.

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