William and Ellen Craft – Escape to Freedom
By
John C Abercrombie
In a world where the color of a person’s skin plays such an important role, we take a look where it works against these “experts” as a Black couple use the assumptions of others to escape slavery.
As you read other posts on amazingblackhistory.com you are aware of cases where racial identity is often difficult to determine. Many people throughout history have been misidentified. Many have relatives who have “passed” for White because of the discrepancy and discrimination in the way we treat people on the basis of skin color alone.
In the case of William and Ellen Craft we see a shocking story of racial misidentification that allowed them to escape the highly undesirable horrors of slavery.
William Craft was born in Macon, Georgia in 1824 and was sold to settle his owner’s gambling debt. His 14 year old sister and each of his parents were sold to different owners. Families being split like this was a common occurrence for slaves. William was fortunate because his new owner apprenticed him as a carpenter and gave him a small percentage of what the owner’s profit. This emphasizes the fact that slaves were considered property and not human beings.
Ellen was born in Clinton, Georgia in 1826. Her mother was a mixed-race enslaved woman. Her father was the owner of her mother, Major James Smith. This means that Ellen was at least 75% European ancestry. Ellen was extremely fair skinned and looked lie her White half-siblings who were her father’s legitimate children. Because of the friction caused by this relationship. Smith’s wife gave Ellen, then 11 years old to her daughter, Eliza Cromwell Smith as a wedding present. Again, we see that slaves were considered as chattel property, not as humans with feelings or emotions.
Eliza married Dr. Robert Collins. Ellen was then moved to Macon where her new owners were living. Ellen was a house servant which gave her information about the area.
William and Ellen got permission from their owner to marry. William was dark and Ellen was so fair that she was often mistaken for a White person. This became a major part of their successful escape plan. Ellen dressed as a man with severe medical conditions and William posed as her slave.
They pulled off this daring escape in December of 1848. Ellen who looked White dressed as a male Southern slaveholder with trousers, top hat, short hair, a bandage on her face and her arm in a sling. William played the part of her attentive valet. They caught a train in Macon where thy traveled to Savannah, Georgia, boarded a steamship to Charleston, South Carolina. From there they took another steam ship to Wilmington, North Carolina. From there they again boarded a train to Fredericksburg, Virginia where they again boarded a ship bound for Washington, DC. The next leg of this protracted journey including crossing the Mason-Dixon line to Pennsylvania.
As expected, there were several close calls. Despite the difficulties, they arrived in Philadelphia on Christmas Day.
Not long after arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania they moved to Boston, Massachusetts which had an established free Black community known as Beacon Hill. There they found protective abolitionist. William Craft founded a furniture business which was profitable. They were able to fulfil their dream of being married in a Christian church and having free children. They worked with William Wells Brown a well-known fugitive slave who was an antislavery lecturer all around New England.
All was well until the ratification of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 which made it a crime for residents of free states to harbor or help slaves. There were even included fees for judges and other law enforcement officers for assisting in apprehending and returning people back into slavery.
In 1850, however, Congress disturbed their peace by ratifying the Fugitive Slave Act, which made it a crime for residents of free states to harbor or aid fugitives from slavery like the Crafts. The act also handsomely rewarded officers of the law for assisting enslavers by apprehending their fugitive “property” and sending them back to slavery. This , so the placed runaway slaves in jeopardy anywhere in the United States Crafts fled to Liverpool, England where they attended the Ockham School in Surrey. They engaged in speaking out about the abolitionist movement. They also published their narratives.
Due to myths, it was necessary for the Crafts to publish a letter refuting unsavory rumors that they were tired of the responsibility of freedom and wanted to be slaves again.
After 19 years in England the Crafts they were considered prosperous. They had pursued jobs as teachers, running a boarding house. William had created commercial and mercantile agreements with West Africa.
Following their time in Liverpool, they returned o Boston before returning to Georgia where they used money raised from northern publishers and antislavery friends to purchase 1,800 acres where they started the Woodville Co-operative farm School in 1873.
To see the full listing of posts, click on our Blog list
For Black History Month 2020, we posted daily. These posts focus on the reality of Black life in America after the Civil War culminating in the landmark Brown v Board of Education that changed so many of the earlier practices. To see the posts, click here
For Black History Month 2021, we focused on Black Medical Achievements, Inventors and Scientists’ see those posts, click here.
For Black History Month 2022 we used the theme of “Health and Wellness” to see that series, Use this link.
This post is part of a celebration of Women’s History Month and features 31 amazing Black women. To see these amazing posts, click here.
We also posted a 5 part mini-series on the 100th anniversary of one of the most horrific massacres in the history of America. Hundreds of Blacks were slaughtered and 10,000 left homeless in this largely unknown event. To see the posts, click here.
To comment or make suggestions on future posts, use Contact Us
We encourage you to share the site on social media.
Use our links to Amazon anytime you shop Amazon. We receive a small royalty without cost to you. Continue to scroll for fascinating Videos and Books to enhance your learning experience.
It is important that you use the Amazon link anytime you shop. It is not necessary to purchase the product is in the link but any of your purchases help us without charge to use. Please support our work and use our anytime you shop Amazon and shop to your heart’s content. We appreciate it.
Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos, books and value items.
In the following video, we see a town of Black people who look l W and could p. ass as White as many people have. There are even people who have Black ancestors without knowing
town of black people who look white.
**
Or the family of a South Carolina Representative who thought they had Native American Ancestors
Virtue of Cain: From Slave to Senator – Biography of Lawrence Cain
This book focuses on the short but extraordinary life of Reconstruction era Senator Lawrence Cain of Edgefield, South Carolina. He was considered an honorable and virtuous man and helped shape South Carolina politics between 1865 and 1877 as one of the leaders of the Republican Party. He rose above numerous obstacles transitioning from slavery to a state senator. Over 150 years ago he was at the epicenter of social injustice and racism in South Carolina and became a major leader who fought for political and civil rights. The facts of his life had been forgotten like much of African American history during Reconstruction. Now the facts and reality of his life have been uncovered by Lawrence Cain’s great great-grandson in this new book with the help of family, genealogical research, archived papers and genetic DNA results.
**
Or Homer Plessey who while Black did not look at all like it.
**
Or take a look at this
Racial Identification – how good are you?
**
Another example Race and Racism
**
How William and Ellen Craft escaped slavery |
Georgia Stories Explained by Dr. John Inscoe of the New Georgia Encyclopedia and Dr. Barbara McCaskill, William and Ellen Craft’s daring escape from slavery involved Ellen Craft posing as a white slaveholder with her light skin and William posing as her body servant. Their perilous journey took them through major east coast cities north to Philadelphia then Boston. After escaping to freedom, they traveled widely in the United States as abolitionists.
**
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks
**
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom –
The Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery: With an Introductory Chapter by Frederick Douglass William Craft (1824–1900) and Ellen Craft (1826–1891) were American slaves from Georgia who managed to escape to the North in 1848. Disguised as a white male painter (Ellen Craft) and servant (William Craft), they travelled openly by rail and river and arrived in Philadelphia on Christmas Day. Their exploit became well known and was covered widely in the press, which put their lives in danger and resulted in the pair moving to England, where they lived for almost twenty years and raised a family. First published in 1806, “Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom” contains their memoirs and represents one of the most influential slave narratives published prior to the Civil War. A fascinating and moving insight into the life and plight of American slaves not to be missed by those with an interest in American history. Read & Co. History is proudly republishing this classic memoir now in a new addition complete with an introductory chapter by Frederick Douglass.
ABH – Running a Thousand Miles
**
Baby and Nursery
Let’s take care of our most valued citizens using the link below
**
Ellen and William Craft William and Ellen Craft. Artist:
Written and performed by Quanda Johnson (3 minutes) William and Ellen Craft met and married in Georgia. They were enslaved Africans. Ellen was the daughter of a mulatto slave and a plantation owner. The Crafts were fugitives who escaped to Halifax on the Underground Railroad, making a daring, novel, and very public escape.
**
Cell Phones and Accessories
Get them here. The best selection around
ABH – cell phones and accessories
**
Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery:
William and Ellen Craft in Cultural Memory The spectacular 1848 escape of William and Ellen Craft (1824–1900; 1826–1891) from slavery in Macon, Georgia, is a dramatic story in the annals of American history. Ellen, who could pass for white, disguised herself as a gentleman slaveholder; William accompanied her as his “master’s” devoted slave valet; both traveled openly by train, steamship, and carriage to arrive in free Philadelphia on Christmas Day. In Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery, Barbara McCaskill revisits this dual escape and examines the collaborations and partnerships that characterized the Crafts’ activism for the next thirty years: in Boston, where they were on the run again after the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law; in England; and in Reconstruction-era Georgia. McCaskill also provides a close reading of the Crafts’ only book, their memoir, Running aThousand Miles for Freedom, published in 1860.
ABH – Love Liberty and Escaping Slavery
**
Major Appliances
We have it all and you can find it with our link below
**
WILLIAM AND ELLEN CRAFT
**
Office and School Supplies
It’s that time of the year. Use our link below for great shopping with delivery to your front door
ABH – Office and School Supplies
**
5,000 Miles to Freedom:
Ellen and William Craft’s Flight from Slavery What would it take for slaves to escape from slavery in the Deep South, 1,000 miles from freedom and then on to England during the period of the Fugitive Slave Act? For most slaves the thought of escape was unimaginable. But fear did not stop Ellen and William Craft from chasing freedom. An inspiring and riveting story of two amazing people stopping at nothing to fight for freedom and racial equality, this thrilling true tale chronicles Ellen and William Craft’s lives from their flight from slavery in Georgia to their rise to world-wide fame as heroes of the Abolitionist movement. Illustrated with period artwork, newspaper clippings, and archival photographs, 5,000 Miles to Freedom captures the unforgiving realities of slave life, the political hatred between North and South, and, above all, the extraordinary achievements of this remarkable couple. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit
**
Business and Money
Take full advantage of your entrepreneurial skills and how to take care of your money with these great offerings using our Amazon affiliate link below
**
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William & Ellen Craft (a Slave Narrative)
A discussion of the compelling narrative produced by William and Ellen Craft of their 1848 escape to freedom.
**
Grocery and Gourmet Food
An amazing selection to chose from using the link below
ABH – Grocery and Gourmet Food
**
Escape from Slavery:
The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America May 1986: Selling his mother’s eggs and peanuts near his village in southern Sudan, seven year old Francis Bok’s life was shattered when Arab raiders on horseback, armed with rifles and long knives, burst into the quiet marketplace, murdering men and women and gathering the young children into a group. Strapped to horses and donkeys, Francis and others were taken north, into lives of slavery under wealthy Muslim farmers.
**
We search for the most outstanding values for you. These products are available for 24 hours then replaced with another excellent value.
**
A Slave Story:
Running A Thousand Miles For Freedom
**
Health and Household
Again, a great selection for your convenience at the click of a button
**
A History of Blacks in Kentucky: From Slavery to Segregation, 1760-1891
A History of Blacks in Kentucky traces the role of blacks from the early exploration and settlement of Kentucky to 1891, when African Americans gained freedom only to be faced with a segregated society. Making extensive use of numerous primary sources such as slave diaries, Freedmen’s Bureau records, church minutes, and collections of personal papers, the book tells the stories of individuals, their triumphs and tragedies, and their accomplishments in the face of adversity
**
Jewelry
A fantastic selection at your fingertips with our link below
**
Ellen Craft by E. Reid Gilbert Ellen Craft:
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by E. Reid Gilbert. A Community Players Production sponsored by Racial Reconciliation Community Outreach Network, Tucson, AZ, 2019. Ellen Craft (1826-1891) and William Craft (1824-1900) were slaves from Macon, Georgia who escaped to the North in December 1848 by traveling openly by train and steamboat. Ellen passed as a white male planter and William as her personal servant. Join their journey through the theatrical stage play by E. Reid Gilbert and directed by Edward D. Young, with lead actors Robin Carson and Dante Crossroad.
**
From history people are left with the impression that slaves were happy in their bondage, that slave owners were kind and benevolent. This puts an end to the myth and shows the creativity that went into getting freedom. This ingenious plan shows the planning and the risks involved in seeking freedom. Drapetomania is even a “disease” that was applied to Blacks who were seeking freedom. Why was it a mental illness in Black but not even a “disease” in Whites.