Ben Winters’s Underground Airlines is a novel that depicts an alternate world that emphasizes how the modern-day world would look like if the American Civil War never happened due to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination before he became the president of the United States. Consequently, slavery continues to be legal in some states that are known as the “Hard Four”. The novel follows Victor, a runaway slave, who is forced to work as a bounty hunter that helps the US Marshall Service capture slaves who try to escape and return them back to where they were previously working. The plausibility of the book lies in the reality of what life would be like without the influence of Abraham Lincoln. This is evident because although not everyone was against slavery in the past, people never would’ve been able to end slavery because they didn’t possess enough authority or will power to help advocate for the freedom of slaves. Some historians agree that President Lincoln was the most significant white friend for black Americans because of his strong desire for equality (Guelzo). Unlike many political figures who act and advocate on issues for the purpose of gaining support, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t scared to solidify his stance on abolishing slavery while it would have been easier to compromise and give into the wants of the people from the South. In other words, taking no action would’ve been easier for Lincoln since the subject of slavery was such a controversial matter. Therefore, this alternate reality where slavery remains in these few states is completely plausible without Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War because the majority of southerners believed that their social system was stable and just.
Citations
Michael P. Johnson. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, by Allen C. Guelzo. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association. Vol. 26. Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2005.
