# Jim's Journey Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center is the country's first memorial to Jim; the first to pay homage to Jim's prototype Daniel Quarles; and the only African American history museum in Northeast Missouri ## Pages - [Home](https://www.jimsjourney.org/): Jim's Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center is the country's first memorial to Jim; the first to pay homage to Jim's prototype Daniel Quarles; and the only African American history museum in Northeast Missouri - [Hannibal's African American Notables](https://www.jimsjourney.org/hannibals-african-american-notables): Our Notables display highlights just a fraction of Hannibal's outstanding African American citizens who impacted the community and played a key role in making Hannibal a better place to live and raise a family. These are ordinary folks who did extraordinary things. - [Video Library](https://www.jimsjourney.org/video-library): Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. - [About](https://www.jimsjourney.org/about): In a town that celebrates all things Twain, Jim's Journey recognizes one of Twain's most complex yet locally under-represented literary figures: Jim, the runaway slave, and friend to Huck Finn. We all know Jim is a fictional character, but we have learned that he was based on a real person, Daniel Quarles. - [Religion](https://www.jimsjourney.org/religion): Throughout the nineteenth century, Missouri law forbade the assembly of blacks in large groups for any purpose-including worship-unless they were supervised by a white person. Despite the existence of such laws, despite frequent threats and lack of finances, local blacks founded churches, gathered to worship, and defined freedom of religion for themselves. - [Mission, Leadership and Partners](https://www.jimsjourney.org/mission-leadership-and-partners): In September of 2011, Hannibal's first African American museum opened, the Hannibal African American Life and History Project. In September of 2013 we celebrated phase two of this project with the unveiling of Jim's Journey: the Huck Finn Freedom Center. - [Slavery](https://www.jimsjourney.org/slavery): Missouri came into the Union as a slave state and depended on slave labor for its early development. It should not be forgotten that the Louisiana Purchase created a great deal of turmoil for slaves as families were separated, uprooted and relocated when a white slave owner decided to move west. - [Slavery and the Clemens Family](https://www.jimsjourney.org/slavery-and-the-clemens-family): Slavery was a given part of life in the world of young Samuel Clemens. He grew up in a family that owned slaves and relied upon their labor for daily comforts. Sam's father, John Marshall Clemens, had descended from a line of wealthy, slave-owning Virginia planters, a lineage of which he was very proud. - [Hannibal's African American History](https://www.jimsjourney.org/hannibals-african-american-history): From the days of slavery through jim crow to the present, hannibal's african americans have left a profound mark on the town's history through their churches, businesses, schools, and more. Explore these stories below. - [Events](https://www.jimsjourney.org/events): In September of 2011, Hannibal's first African American museum opened, the Hannibal African American Life and History Project. In September of 2013 we celebrated phase two of this project with the unveiling of Jim's Journey: the Huck Finn Freedom Center. - [African Americans in the Life of Samuel Clemens](https://www.jimsjourney.org/african-americans-in-the-life-of-samuel-clemens): I have never known [Mr. Clemens] to be stirred up on any one question as he was on that of the cruel treatment of the natives in the Congo Free State. In his letter to Leopold, the late King of the Belgians, in his own inimitable way he did a service in calling to the attention of the world the cruelties practiced upon the black natives of the Congo that had far-reaching results. - [Daniel Quarles, "The Real Jim"](https://www.jimsjourney.org/daniel-quarles-the-real-jim): In his autobiography, Samuel Clemens reveals that an African American man named Daniel Quarles inspired much of his depiction of Jim in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and of Uncle Dan'l in The Gilded Age. Young Clemens grew to know and admire Daniel during his visits to his uncle's farm in Florida, Missouri, where he claims he developed his "strong liking for the [Negro] race." - [Press](https://www.jimsjourney.org/press): Jim's journey makes news - [Military](https://www.jimsjourney.org/military): African americans have shown their patriotism many times over in the military service they provided the nation. Since the founding of the republic, african americans have served in every us conflict/war, often fighting two battles--one against a common enemy and a second against segregation and discrimination in and out of the military. - [Business](https://www.jimsjourney.org/business): It is an interesting irony that African American businesses in the early twentieth century benefited greatly from the unlikely foe of segregation. Jim Crow laws in housing contributed to self-contained neighborhoods where African American businesses and professionals flourished as they catered to the economic needs of their neighbors. Most of these structures have been demolished or significantly changed. - [Samuel Clemens Was More Than an Author and a Humorist](https://www.jimsjourney.org/samuel-clemens-was-more-than-an-author-and-a-humorist): I think Mark Twain understood that if America was going to be the nation that it started out to be, the problem of race had to be solved. And I think he realized that it wasn't being solved. Mark Twain told the truth. David Bradley, Mark Twain: A Film Directed by Ken Burns - [Artifacts](https://www.jimsjourney.org/artifacts): See and experience direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object or person, including historical and legal documents, photographs, artifacts, memorabilia, and art objects. We have over 600 artifacts! - [Visit](https://www.jimsjourney.org/visit): Thank you for visiting the website of Jim's Journey. Our museum is located in Hannibal, MO. We connect the story of Jim in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to Hannibal's African American historical events and share that knowledge with visitors and the community. - [Slave Narratives](https://www.jimsjourney.org/slave-narratives): An important part of hannibal's black history was saved by the wpa's effort to gather narratives from surviving ex-slaves in the 1930's via the federal writer's project. Many former slaves lived and died here in hannibal and are buried in old baptist cemetery. Meet some of those ex-slaves below. - [Education](https://www.jimsjourney.org/education): Educated slaves posed a great threat to their white masters. Aside from offering them greater opportunities for escape, literacy also allowed slaves to communicate secretly with each other, leading to potential slave revolts. Consequently, slave states passed laws that made it illegal to teach a slave to read or write. - [Testimonials](https://www.jimsjourney.org/testimonials): What a very nice place to visit. You learn a lot about the history here. If you are looking to gain some knowledge about Hannibal this is your stop. - [Local Fraternal Organizations](https://www.jimsjourney.org/local-fraternal-organizations): A generation earlier, the demise of slavery and the advent of emancipation fueled African Americans' optimistic pursuit of education, citizenship rights, and economic independence, all crucial marks of freedom. Fraternal organizations provided a unified response to the racism African Americans encountered, and as such, they came to play a prominent role in the social life of the Black community. - [Art Gallery](https://www.jimsjourney.org/art-gallery): Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. - [Black Response to Twain](https://www.jimsjourney.org/black-response-to-twain): Famous African Americans Respond to Twain - [Jim Crow](https://www.jimsjourney.org/jim-crow): The Jim Crow era in the United States extended from the mid-1870s to the mid-1960s. At its core, Jim Crow was a dismissal of African American rights with legislated segregation, but it was also a very real threat to the lives of African Americans and the security of their property. - [Samuel Clemens and African Americans](https://www.jimsjourney.org/samuel-clemens-and-african-americans): Born in pro-slavery Missouri, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) absorbed the racist views of his church, community, and his slave-owning parents. We believe we have created a unique commemoration to Clemens and the unlearning that contributed to his change of heart and his attempts to change America through his writing and his use of satire and humor as he brought to light pressing social issues of his time both in the United States and abroad. ## Blog Posts - [Add a blog post title](https://www.jimsjourney.org/add-a-blog-post-title4) - [Add a blog post title](https://www.jimsjourney.org/add-a-blog-post-title3) - [Add a blog post title](https://www.jimsjourney.org/add-a-blog-post-title2) - [Add a blog post title](https://www.jimsjourney.org/add-a-blog-post-title1)