It was a contrived act of illusions and artful dodges that carried Ellen Craft and her husband William to the North and freedom from slavery. Ellen was born in Macon, Georgia to her light skinned mother, Maria and Maria’s owner, James C. Smith, a lawyer, land surveyor, and a successful planter. She had white skin, hazel eyes, and straight hair. Ellen could easily be taken for a Caucasian, and in fact she had more white blood than black. Ellen looked very much like her father. Mrs. Smith took out her revenge for her husband’s misbehavior on Ellen in the cruelest way. She beat the little girl and worked her to exhaustion. Maria could do nothing and the child’s father cared nothing for her.

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At age eighteen the Smith’s daughter Eliza was married. It was a good excuse for the mistress of the plantation to be rid of Ellen. She gave eleven year old Ellen to Eliza for a wedding present. Life was easier for Ellen. She worked as Eliza’s maid and her duties were sewing, and attending Eliza. She was such a good maid that she was eventually given a cabin at the back of the plantation house.

At age twenty she met William Craft who was also a slave. William’s owner rented him out to a carpenter and from the small amount of his wages his owner let William keep, he could save some money. Ellen loved William but she didn’t want to get married and bring children into the world as slaves. They considered escaping but how could they? There were no underground railroad stops here and it was a long dangerous journey to the north.

In 1846 they did decide to get married but they choose not to have children. They continued to search for ways out and Ellen remembered a story she had heard as a child about a mulatto cousin named Frank, who could pass for white that escaped to the north. Ellen could pass for white so they considered Ellen posing as a white lady traveling with her slave, but the thought came that it was not possible. No white lady would travel with a male slave unless he was old and infirm which William certainly was not. He was a strong robust young man. But, would it be possible for Ellen to travel as a man? They were determined to try.

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William went about collecting the items they would need. A black cloak, a gentleman’s suit, an ascot, a beaver top hat. Ellen put these away in a small chest her husband had made. They would wait for Christmas when slaves were allowed more freedom and could visit family and friends at other plantations. Sure enough, William and Ellen were given passes to be away for a few days.Ellen couldn’t read or write so they put her arm in a sling so she wouldn’t be expected to do any writing. A bandage around her face would discourage any conversation. They bought glasses with green glass to conceal the fear and panic in her eyes. William cut her hair, and behold, before him stood the young gentleman, William Johnson. This frail, sickly looking young man was traveling with his trusty man servant to seek medical attention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

They planed a pig trail route because they knew their owners would be after them. They had many scary moments on their journey. It seemed they would be caught at any time. At one time a neighbor of Ellen’s owner was seated near them on a train and tried to engage Ellen in conversation. She kept her head turned away and pretended she was deaf. In Charleston”Mr. Johnson” was asked to sign a register and seeing Ellen’s arm in the sling a gentleman signed it for her. He registered “Mr. Johnson and slave.” Each time they got on a train, after seating Ellen, William headed for the “colored” car. Ellen was under the greatest strain, calling up everything in memory of the ways of the white upper class and praying she wouldn’t give herself away.

Image via Wikipedia

Ellen and William arrived in Philadelphia on Christmas day in 1848. They had many successes and tribulations in their life time. They lived for a time in England and Liberia. They eventually bought a 1,800 acre plantation in Ways, Station, in their home state of Georgia where they grew rice and cotton. The Crafts also started a school, the Woodville Co-Operative Farm School. Ellen daughter, Ellen Craft Crum was one of the founders and first vice presidents of the National Federation of Afro-American Women, formed in 1895. The exact date of Ellens death is not know but was in the 1890’s and William died a few years later.

http://socyberty.com/history/slaves-at-marthas-vineyard/

http://quazen.com/biography/the-rebellion-of-nat-turner/

http://quazen.com/biography/paul-jennings-white-house-slave/