Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom

William Craft was born into American slavery in 1824. His grandfather was born in West Africa and had been a leader of his people but was kidnapped and transported to the United States via the transatlantic slave trade. William was born in Macon, Georgia, and was enslaved to a white plantation owner named Hugh Craft. William’s faith was emboldened by the hypocrisy he saw in his enslaver. When Craft’s businesses began to fail, he sold William’s parents to two separate enslavers and William’s sister into sex work. William was purchased by a new enslaver who contracted William to a local cabinetmaker. William brokered a deal with his new enslaver in which he handed over a large percentage of his income while setting aside a little for himself.

At 16, William met Ellen. The couple decided to postpone their relationship until they could secure freedom, but they later decided to participate in a wedding ceremony that was not recognized by the American legal system. In 1848, William and Ellen escaped slavery and became global activists, sharing their story with others.

William’s tenacity and pride were evident throughout his life. He was hesitant to accept charity, especially when offered by white donors. When he and Ellen embarked on their journey, he carried a pistol with him, determined from the beginning that he would rather die than return to a life of bondage. William developed his own reputation as a public speaker and activist, and he had a profound impact on many lives.

Ellen Craft was born in Clinton, Georgia, in 1826. Her mother, Maria, was enslaved by Ellen’s father, Major James Smith, a plantation owner. Ellen was light-skinned and a favorite of her half-sister, Eliza. Smith’s wife was jealous of Maria and Ellen. When Eliza married, Mrs. Smith gave Ellen to her daughter, separating Ellen and her mother for 17 years. Smith carefully wrote a contract that explicitly stated that Ellen was Eliza’s property, not the property of her new husband, Robert Collins. However, Ellen did not know this.

Historical records suggest that Ellen may have played a major role in crafting her escape with her husband. She carefully constructed an outfit, using her skills as a sewer, to appear as a white enslaver named Mr. Johnson. William traveled with Ellen as Mr. Johnson’s enslaved companion. Ellen managed to fool other passengers so well that some even hoped the charming Mr. Johnson would court their daughters. When Ellen and William escaped to the North, Eliza could not believe Ellen abandoned her of her own free will. Collins pursued Ellen, but the couple’s advocacy mobilized abolitionists to their aid. In England, Ellen became a celebrity for her wit, generosity, and intelligence. In 1996, Ellen was inducted into Georgia Women of Achievement. Her advocacy work contributed to the freedom and betterment of countless lives.

William Wells Brown was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. Born in 1814 in Kentucky, Brown was enslaved by Dr. John Young. Brown’s enslavers hired him out to work on steamboats along the Missouri River. At age 19, Brown escaped to Ohio and then traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, where he developed a reputation as an activist and public speaker. Brown was known for his oratory skills, thrilling audiences with his humor and emotion. During this time, Brown met William and Ellen Craft. The three traveled around New England, sharing the story of their escape and the realities of slavery in the American South.

In 1849, Brown moved to Europe and chose to stay with the passing of the Compromise of 1850. His British friends purchased his freedom in 1854. When William and Ellen came to England, Brown introduced them to British and Scottish audiences. Brown is recognized as the first African American to publish a novel, which is called Clotel, or The President’s Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States. Brown is recognized for his contributions to the abolition movement and his powerful ability to mobilize and inspire his audiences.

William and Ellen Craft’s swift decision to leave may have been spurred by Dr. Robert Collins’s legal and financial trouble. Collins had been accused of shady business, and he wrote a formal statement to try to clear his name. In 1844, the Collinses’ home was sold at auction to repay Robert’s many debts. James Smith, Collins’s father-in-law, purchased the mansion and secured it in his daughter’s name. Ellen, unaware of Smith’s deal, may have worried that Collins would sell her to a different enslaver, separating her from William.

After their escape, Collins initially refused to pursue recapture under the Fugitive Slave Act. Troubled my financial difficulties, the cost of locating and bringing Ellen back to Georgia would have been too high. However, Collins was a proud Unionist. The Compromise of 1850 emboldened the enslaver to find Ellen; he felt that doing so would serve as a testament to the power of the Union and the bright future of the country. Collins hired two men to travel to Philadelphia and bring both William and Ellen back to Georgia. The men were accosted by abolitionist efforts to keep William and Ellen safe, and they returned empty-handed.

After William and Ellen traveled to Europe, Collins was approached—as he had been many times—about the purchase of Ellen. Abolitionists raised funds to buy the freedom of enslaved people, and many were interested in securing freedom for such a prominent public figure in the abolitionist movement. Collins refused to give Ellen her freedom or sell her to another buyer, believing that his position was one of moral standing.

Born into slavery in 1818, Frederick Douglass was a monumental figure in the abolitionist movement. In 1826, Douglass was given to a woman who lived in Baltimore. She taught Douglass to read and write, but she later attempted to limit his access to learning. Douglass continued to educate himself in secret. He escaped slavery in 1838, refusing to share many of the details of his journey so that others might use the same method. Douglass was a powerful speaker and abolitionist. His works, including Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, forced American readers to face the reality of American slavery and its violence and cruelty. Douglass became increasingly agitated in his work as an abolitionist and argued that the time for force had come.

Douglass met William and Ellen Craft on the lecture circuit. Standing alongside the couple, Douglass brought attention to the complicated nature of slavery and the urgency for eradicating it. In 1851, Douglass gave a speech titled “Is the United States Constitution for or Against Slavery?” Douglass argued that secession from the Union would only allow Southern states to increase their violence and cruelty. He also criticized Northern states for their complicity in American slavery.