The Amazing Story of Slave Henry "Box" Brown Who Won His Freedom Thanks to a Box
Who didn't wonder as a child: is it possible to send a person by mail in a parcel? Today it sounds like a fantasy, but history knows of cases when this was possible. One of the most famous examples is the escape of the black slave Henry Box Brown, who, thanks to this bold idea, gained freedom and forever inscribed his name in history.
Henry Brown was born in 1815 on a plantation in Louisa County, Virginia. His parents were slaves, so he was born unfree. Henry later shared his memories of his childhood and life on the plantation. His family was lucky by the standards of that time - the owner was not cruel and treated the slaves relatively well. However, he was vain and demanded maximum respect and honor from his workers.
When Henry Brown was 15, his master died and he found himself in the hands of another slave owner. The new owner sent Henry to work in a tobacco factory in Richmond. At the same time, the family was separated, with parents, brothers, and sisters being distributed among different plantations. According to Henry, his older sister became the mistress of planter William Barrett.
In 1836, Henry married Nancy, who worked on one of Barrett's plantations. They had three children. Henry was considered a good worker, and his family's life remained relatively calm. However, he was forced to give a significant part of his earnings to the owner. The owner blackmailed him, promising not to sell his wife and children.
But in 1848, Barrett broke his promise and sold Nancy and the children to another planter. They were sent to North Carolina, and Henry learned of this after the fact. In despair, he realized that he had nothing left to lose and decided to flee. It was 1849: slavery had already been banned in some states, but in Virginia the issue was only being discussed, and without much enthusiasm.
Henry Brown decided to escape to one of the states where there was no slavery, but how to do it? It was easier to leave the factory than to escape from the plantation. But how far could a black man in government clothes, without money and documents, run? Then Brown came up with an unusual idea: he decided to send himself to freedom... in a box.
It was impossible to carry out such a plan on his own. So Henry turned to friends with whom he sang in the church choir for help. Among them were black activist James Caesar Anthony Smith and white shoemaker Samuel Alexander Smith. Together they came up with a plan: pack Henry in a wooden box and send him by rail to Philadelphia.
Samuel Smith contacted James Miller McKim, the head of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and a railroad official. McKim provided important information about shipping regulations and promised to meet Henry when he arrived. He was the one listed as the recipient of the package.
For the operation, they ordered a strong wooden box from a carpenter, 90 cm long, 60 cm wide and 75 cm high. Inside, it was lined with thick woolen fabric to soften the impacts during transportation. They also provided several holes for air. One day in March 1849, Henry Brown climbed into the box. The friends nailed the lid shut, marked the top and wrote that the cargo required delicate handling.
Henry Brown's crate was loaded onto a cart and taken to the Adams Express Company's drop-off point. The journey lasted only 27 hours, but it was far from comfortable. During that time, the crate was transported by wagon, in a train boxcar, and on a river ferry.
Despite the warning sign, the movers managed to turn the box upside down twice. They also put it down carelessly more than once, which is why poor Henry Brown got several bruises and bumps. But in the end, the box was delivered to its address - the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society office in Philadelphia.
When Henry Brown got out of the box, he cried with joy and sang a psalm, giving thanks to the Almighty for his salvation. This amazing escape earned him the nickname "Box", which he was proud of. In freedom, the former slave began a completely different life.
Henry Brown became a respected lecturer for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. In 1849, he gave his first address at the convention of the New England Anti-Slavery Society in Boston. His lectures attracted much interest, and he even traveled to Europe to give speeches, where he was especially warmly received in Britain.
Unfortunately, Henry Brown was never able to see his wife Nancy and children again. In 1859, he married for the second time, settled in England and spent several years engaged in social activities. In 1875, he returned to the United States, where he continued to actively speak out until 1889. Then the fighter for the rights of blacks retired and moved to Canada, to Toronto. There he died in June 1897, surrounded by his family and like-minded people.
Henry Brown's story is more than an escape. It's a symbol of human determination, of the willingness to risk for freedom. Would you risk everything to find a new life? Share your thoughts in the comments!