Henry Box Brown

Henry Box Brown

human

Ein sex anaa gender	male
Ein country of citizenship	United States
Name wey dem give am	Henry
Family name	Box, Brown
Ein date of birth	1815
Place dem born am	Virginia, Louisa County
Date wey edie	15 June 1897
Place wey edie	Toronto
Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign	English
Ein occupation	autobiographer, abolitionist
Ethnic group	African Americans
Social classification	slave

Henry Box Brown (c. 1815 – June 15, 1897) na he be an enslaved man wey komot Virginia wey na he escape to freedom at de age of 33 by arranging make e get einself mailed insyd a wooden crate insyd 1849 to abolitionists insyd Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For a short time, na Brown cam be a noted abolitionist speaker insyd de northeast United States. As a public figure den fugitive slave, ma Brown feel extremely endangered by de passage of de Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, wich na e increase de pressure make dem capture escaped slaves. Na he move go England wey na he live der for 25 years, dey tour plus an anti-slavery panorama, wey he cam turn a magician den showman.

Na Brown marry den start a family plus an English woman, Jane Floyd. Na Brown ein first wifey, Nancy, remain insyd slavery. Na Brown return to de United States plus ein English family insyd 1875, wer na he continue dey earn a living as an entertainer. Na he tour den perform as a magician, speaker, den mesmerist til at least 1889. Na he spend de last decade of ein life (1886–97) insyd Toronto, wer na he die insyd 1897.

Kiddie time den slavery

Na dem born Henry Brown into slavery insyd 1815 on a plantation dem call Hermitage insyd Louisa County, Virginia. Na Henry be religious from an early age, wey dey state say na ein mommie be de one to instill Christian values into am. Na dem believe na he get at least two siblings, secof na he mention a bro den a sisto insyd ein autobiography. At age 15 na dem send am make he work insyd a tobacco factory insyd Richmond.

Insyd ein autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself, na he dey describe ein owner: "Our master was uncommonly kind, (for even a slaveholder may be kind) and as he moved about in his dignity he seemed like a god to us, but not with standing his kindness although he knew very well what superstitious notions we formed of him, he never made the least attempt to correct our erroneous impression, but rather seemed pleased with the reverential feelings which we entertained towards him."

The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, a lithograph by Samuel Rowse dem publish insyd 1850

Escape

Na Brown first marry a fellow slave dem name Nancy, buh na dem no recognise dema marriage legally. Na dem get three kiddies born into slavery under de partus sequitur ventrem principle, according to wich, na kiddies born to enslaved women demselves be enslaved. Na dem hire out Brown by ein master insyd Richmond, Virginia, wey na he work insyd a tobacco factory. Na he rent a house, wer na he den ein wifey live plus dema kiddies. Na Brown sanso dey bia ein wifey ein master make he no sell ein family, buh na de man betray Brown by selling Nancy, wey na she dey preg at de time, den dema three kiddies to a different slave owner, a minister insyd North Carolina.

Plus de help of James C. A. Smith, a free black man, den a sympathetic white shoemaker dem name Samuel A. Smith (no relation), na Brown devise a plan make he get einself shipped insyd a box to a free state by de Adams Express Company, dem know for ein confidentiality den efficiency. Na Brown bia US$86 (equivalent to $3,250 insyd 2024) (out of ein savings of $166) to Samuel Smith.

Na Smith go to Philadelphia make he consult members of de Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society on how to accomplish de escape, meeting plus minister James Miller McKim, William Still, den Cyrus Burleigh. Na he correspond plus dem to work out de details after he return to Richmond. Na dem advise am make he mail de box to de office of Quaker merchant Passmore Williamson, wey na he be active plus de Vigilance Committee.

To get out of work de day na he for escape, Brown burn ein hand to de bone plus sulfuric acid. De box insyd wich na dem for ship Brown be 3 by 2.67 by 2 feet (0.91 by 0.81 by 0.61 m) wey na dem display de words "dry goods" for ein top. Na dem line am plus baize, a coarse woolen cloth, wey na he carry a small portion of water den a few biscuits per. Na der be a single hole dem cut for air, wey na dem nail den tie am plus straps. Na Brown later wrep say na ein uncertain method of travel be worth de risk: "if you have never been deprived of your liberty, as I was, you cannot realize the power of that hope of freedom, which was to me indeed, an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast."

During de trip, wich begin on March 29, 1849, na dem transport Brown ein box by wagon, railroad, steamboat, wagon again, railroad, ferry, railroad, den finally delivery wagon, wey na dem plete am insyd 27 hours. Despite de instructions on de box of "handle with care" den "this side up," na carriers place de box chaw times upside-down wey na dem handle am roughly. Na Brown remain still wey na he avoid detection.

Anoda "Resurrection of Henry Box Brown" dem publish plus an account of de story insyd William Still ein 1872 book The Underground Railroad

Na Williamson, McKim, William Still, den oda members of de Philadelphia Vigilance Committee receive de box on March 30, 1849, wey na dem attest to de improvements insyd express delivery services. Wen na dem release Brown, na one of de men kai ein first words as "How do you do, gentlemen?" Na he sing a song dem model after Psalm 40, wich na he earlier choose to celebrate ein release into freedom.

In addition to celebrating Brown ein inventiveness, as Hollis Robbins note, "the role of government and private express mail delivery is central to the story and the contemporary record suggests that Brown's audience celebrated his delivery as a modern postal miracle." The government postal service had dramatically increased communication and, despite southern efforts to control abolitionist literature, mailed pamphlets, letters and other materials reached the South.

Cheap postage, Frederick Douglass observe insyd The North Star, get an "immense moral bearing". As long as federal and state governments respected the privacy of the mails, everyone and anyone could mail letters and packages; almost anything could be inside. In short, the power of prepaid postage delighted the increasingly middle-class and commercial-minded North and increasingly worried the slave-holding South.

Na Brown ein escape highlight de power of de mail system, wich dem use a variety of modes of transportation make e connect de East Coast. Na de Adams Express Company, a private mail service dem found insyd 1840, market ein confidentiality den efficiency. Na e be favored by abolitionist organizations wey dem "promise never to look insyd de boxes na e carry."

Life insyd freedom

Na Brown cam be a well-known speaker give de Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society wey he get to know Frederick Douglass. Na dem nickname am "Box" at a Boston antislavery convention insyd May 1849, den thereafter he use de name Henry Box Brown. Na he publish two versions of ein autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown. De first, dem wrep plus de help of Charles Stearns wey dey conform to expectations of de slave narrative genre, wey na dem publish am insyd Boston insyd 1849. Na dem publish de second insyd Manchester, England, insyd 1851, after he move go der. While on de lecture circuit insyd de northeastern United States, na Brown develop a moving panorama plus ein partner James C. A. Smith wich detail both Brown ein journey as well as de daily life of free den people enslave. Na dem separate insyd 1851.

Na Douglass wish dat na Brown for no reveal de details of ein escape, so dat odas fi to use am. Wen na Samuel Smith attempt make he free oda slaves insyd Richmond insyd 1849, na dem arrest dem. Na de year of ein escape, na Brown ein wifey ein new owner contact am, wey na he offer to sell ein family to am. Na Brown decline de offer. Na dis be an embarrassment within de abolitionist community, wich na dem try to keep de information private.

Brown be known for speaking out against slavery den dey express ein feelings about de state of America. In his Narrative, na he offer a cure for slavery, dey suggest dat make dem give slaves de vote, dem for elect a new president, wey na de North for speak out against de "spoiled child" of de South.

After passage of de Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, wich require cooperation from law enforcement officials make dem capture refugee slaves even insyd free states, Brown move go England for safety, as na he cam be a known public figure. Na he tour Britain plus ein antislavery panorama for de next ten years, wey dey perform chaw hundred times a year. To earn a living, na Brown sanso enter de British show circuit for 25 years, til 1875, after he lef de abolitionist circuit dey follow de start of de American Civil War.

Insyd 1857, as na Cutter document insyd ein book, The Illustrated Slave (2017), na Brown act insyd chaw plays na dem expressly wrep give am by a British playwright – E.G. Burton – buh na ein acting career appear e be short-lived. Insyd de 1860s, na he begin dey perform as a magician plus acts as a mesmerist den conjuror, under de show names of "Prof. H. Box Brown" den de "African Prince".

While insyd England insyd 1855, na Brown marry Jane Floyd, a White Cornish tin worker ein daughter, wey na dem begin a new family. Insyd 1875, na he return plus ein new family to de U.S., plus a group magic act. Na a later report document de Brown Family Jubilee Singers.

Last years, possible return to England, den death

Na Brown return to de US insyd 1875, wey na he ultimately settle insyd Canada insyd de Toronto area, wer na he live den work for over a decade. Na tax den housing records indicate dat na he still fi dey perform insyd de last years of ein life.

As na de scholar Martha J. Cutter first document insyd 2015, Henry Box Brown die insyd Toronto on June 15, 1897. De last known performance by Brown be a newspaper account of a performance plus ein daughter Annie den wifey Jane insyd Brantford, Ontario, Canada, dated February 26, 1889.

Na Martha Cutter sanso recently (2022) find two possible performances by Box Brown insyd England insyd 1896, na one of wich be at de Varteg School insyd England;

The Varteg Board School was close to overflowing on Thursday evening, when one of the grandest of entertainment was given on behalf of Mr. George Selby. . . . The programme was as follows:—Pianoforte solo, Miss Jessie Pope; duet, Misses Esse Short and A. Brace; dialogue, “Mrs. Pert and visitors,” by nine friends; organ recital, Professor Box Brown. . . . The organ recital by Prof. Box Brown has left a marked impression on the minds and ears of the people.

Pontypool Free Press (Wales), March 20, 1896; from British Newspaper Archives. [1]

Dis information no be definitive, however, secof passenger records insyd dis period of ships wey dey return to Canada contain few specific details about dema occupants beyond first den last name den gender.

If de performance by Brown at de Varteg school be valid, dis go be de last known performance by Brown, secof he die just one year later.

Bibliography

• Brown, Henry Box (1851). Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself. Manchester: Lee & Glynn.
• Chater, Kathleen Untold Histories: Black People in England and Wales During the Period of the British Slave Trade, c. 1660-1807 Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2010.
• Chater, Kathleen Henry Box Brown: From Slavery to Show Business McFarland & Company, Inc, Jefferson, NC, 2020.
• Cutter, Martha J. The Many Resurrections of Henry Box Brown. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022.
• Cutter, Martha J. (2015). "Will the Real Henry 'Box' Brown Please Stand Up?". Commonplace. 16 (1).
• Ernest, John, ed. (2008). Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-4696-0500-5.
• Robbins, Hollis (2009). "Fugitive Mail: The Deliverance of Henry 'Box' Brown and Antebellum Postal Politics". American Studies. 50 (1/2): 6. doi:10.1353/ams.2011.0045. S2CID 142902898.
• Ruggles, Jeffrey (2003). The Unboxing of Henry Brown (in English). Library of Virginia. ISBN 9780884902003.
• Spencer, Suzette. "Henry Box Brown (1815 or 1816–1897)". Retrieved March 8, 2013.
• Stearns, Charles (1849). Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box Three Feet Long, Two Wide, and Two and a Half High. Written from a Statement of Facts Made by Himself. With Remarks upon the Remedy for Slavery. Boston: Brown & Stearns. Retrieved 2025-06-28.

External links

• African American Voices, Digital History website
• African American History; Henry Box Brown webpage, African American Registry
• "Henry Box Brown", Virginia Historical Society
• Henry "Box" Brown Wax Figure at The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
• "When special delivery meant deliverance for a fugitive slave", New York Times blog, February 26, 2010
• "Henry Box Brown" in Union or Secession: Virginians Decide, at Library of Virginia
• NEH's EDSITEment lesson plan Henry "Box" Brown's Narrative: Creating Original Historical Fiction
• NPR interview with Brown biographer Jeffrey Ruggles