SET BETWEEN 1866 AND 1877, "THE STORY OF JUBILEE" IS THE EPIC BACK STORIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ORIGINAL FISK JUBILEE SINGERS AND THEIR MUSIC DIRECTOR, PROFESSOR GEORGE WHITE. THOMAS RUTLING WAS SEPARATED FROM HIS MOTHER AT A SLAVE SALE AT THE AGE OF 3. BECAUSE HE COULD READ, AT THE AGE OF ELEVEN, THOMAS WAS ALREADY A SURGEON'S ASSISTANT. CARRYING A LETTER OF REFERENCE FROM THE SURGEON, WHO WAS FRIENDS WITH GENERAL CLINTON B. FISK, THOMAS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN THE NEWLY-FORMED FISK FREED-COLORED SCHOOL IN 1867. RUTLING WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FISK JUBILEE SINGERS. ONE LEGACY ALLEGES THE CHORUS OF "SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT" WAS FIRST EVER HEARD AT THE NEAR-DROWNING OF ELLA SHEPPARD AT THE HANDS OF HER OWN MOTHER. SOON AFTER ENROLLING INTO THE FISK FREED-COLORED SCHOOL, ELLA SERVED AS PROFESSOR WHITE'S ASSISTANT, MAKING HER FISK'S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL TEACHER. SHEPPARD IS ATTRIBUTED WITH TEACHING "SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT" TO THE ORIGINAL FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, AND IT'S THE FIRST SONG EVER RECORDED BY AFRICAN-AMERICANS. IT WAS RECORDED AT STEINWAY HALL IN NEW YORK BY FOUR MALES FROM THE ORIGINAL FISK JUBILEE SINGERS ON THEIR DEBUT TOUR BETWEEN 1871 AND 1873. MAGGIE PORTER BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL TEACHER TO GRADUATE FROM FISK FREED-COLORED SCHOOL'S "NORMAL DEPARTMENT". SHE WAS ALSO A DIVA AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO PERFORM HANDEL'S CANTATA AS "ESTHER". PORTER WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FISK JUBILEE SINGERS DURING IT'S ENTIRE EXISTENCE, THOUGH SHE WAS SUSPENDED FROM THE TROUPE FOR SIX MONTHS BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T GET ALONG WITH ANY OF THE OTHER SINGERS. FREDERICK LOUDIN WAS BORN FREE, NEVER ATTENDED THE FISK FREED-COLORED SCHOOL AND WAS MUCH OLDER THAN THE OTHER STUDENTS, BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE ENSEMBLE. LOUDIN SPENT MOST OF HIS CAREER WITH THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS VIEING FOR ELLA SHEPPARD'S POSITION AS THE PROFESSOR'S ASSISTANT. AMONGST THEIR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, THESE STUDENTS WERE THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO SING SPIRITUALS AS A FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT, THE FIRST TO PERFORM AT THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN THEY SANG FOR ULYSSES S. GRANT'S INAUGURATION , THE FIRST TO SAIL ON AN OCEAN LINER OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF SLAVERY AS THEY VISITED ENGLAND AS GUESTS OF QUEEN VICTORIA , AND THEY WERE THE NEWLY-FREED TEENS THAT SAVED TODAY'S FISK UNIVERSITY FROM BANKRUPTCY. ALL ABOARD AS WE JOIN THEM ON THEIR DEBUT TOUR ALONG THE ROUTE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. AMID DISCRIMINATION, EXPLOITATION AND TOTAL DISREGARD FOR THEIR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THEY BROKE DOWN BARRIERS IN LODGING, TRANSPORTATION AND EDUCATION , AS WELL AS CARVED OUT A NICHE IN THE ARTS.