Bridget “Biddy” Mason was brought to California by her owner, John
Smith, in 1851. Because California was a free state, Smith tried to convince
his slaves that they would be free if they moved to Texas (a slave state).
Biddy doubted his truthfulness and sought help from the local free black
community. Smith’s slaves were placed in protective custody and in 1856,
a judge ruled in favor of Biddy, and she and her children were freed.
Eliza Harris was enslaved on a plantation near Dover, Kentucky, 10 miles south of the Ohio
River, when she learned that she was to be sold to another plantation. Hoping to find the Ohio
River frozen, Eliza took her youngest child and escaped. Upon reaching the river the next
morning, she found that the ice on the river had broken up. Hearing the dogs on her trail, Eliza
and her child took a final chance and jumping from ice flow to ice flow they made their way
across the river and disappeared along the Underground Railroad.
William and Ellen Craft, two slaves from Savannah, Georgia
made their remarkable escape to Philadelphia in plain view by
steamer and railroad. Ellen, who was light skinned, disguised her-
self as a young gentleman in ill health seeking medical treatment.
Her husband William traveled as the attentive slave to his
“master”. Overcoming many obstacles along the way, William
and Ellen arrived in Philadelphia where they were fed, clothed and
housed by a Quaker family before moving on to Boston and then
finally to England.
Harry Grimes was born into slavery in North Carolina and sold for the first time at the age of
3. Though his early years of bondage were not easy, it was his third ruth-
less and violent master who led to Harry’s escape. On this occasion, his
master felt that Harry had not done enough work and after a violent con-
frontation, set the dogs after him. Fortunately, Harry had befriended the
dogs and they would not follow him, thus allowing time to escape. He
sought refuge within the woods, where he lived for the next 7 months in a
hollow poplar tree. Harry spent a couple more months living in a cave
before reaching freedom.
Freedom Seekers of the Underground Railroad
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland. As an en-
slaved servant in Baltimore, the lady of the house secretly began to
teach Frederick to read and write. When his “master” found out and
forbid it, Frederick taught himself. Upon his owner’s death, he was
sent to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to work in the fields. By age
21, Frederick escaped to New York disguised as a sailor. Over the
years, he made numerous speeches against slavery and became a na-
tionally known abolitionist and champion of women’s rights. In 1845,
Frederick published Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and in
1847 began publishing his newspaper The North Star.
For more stories, visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/ugrr