Ellen and William Craft: the story of two married slaves who escaped bondage by diguising themselves as slave and master.
In 1848, Ellen and William Craft-both slaves devised a plan in which to escape their unhappy existence as human property. This plan took form after several years of conjured up forethoughts that would serve as possiblities to their freedom, but nonetheless, in the end would quickly lead back to their recaputure. Ellen Craft, being a quadroon, (her former master being her father, her mother-his slave) could be mistaken as white, and William being an obvious African contrived an ordeal befitting their complexions that would finally free them from bondage.
William concluded to disguise his beloved wife as an elderly, feeble and sickly, white gentleman with an injured arm traveling from Georgia to Philadelphia in the presence of his slave. The injured arm serving as a decoy to withdraw suspicion from Ellen's illiteracy.
It was before Christmas that the two obtained several holidays off from their masters, knowing if they were to flee they would not be missed for some days at a time enabling them to grab opportunity by the reigns and live out what they had only spoken about.
Fearful they would be recognized, the two took seperate paths to the train station. Upon William's arrival he entered the negro car, and later, Ellen made it aboard amongst a large crowd of people as a white gentlemen in the presence of other whites.
It was at the station, that William searched in angst out of the window, catching a breath-halting eye of his very own master browsing about the station suspiciously, questioning the ticket-seller, then presuming to search the cars. Coming upon Ellen, he did not recognize as a quadroon slave, but as a white gentleman. He moved on nearing closer to William. William preparing to be caught, hovered in the corner of his cart, shrinking back in fear, but as God would have it-a hit and miss-the bell rang and the train was headed for its destination. It was later discovered his master had suspected William and Ellen of possibly trying to escape.
Upon Ellen's car, she browsed the people amidst her, quickly viewing the shocking sight of one her masters friends, who knew Ellen since childhood, seated next to her. Fearfully knowing the old acquiantance would soon draw her into conversation, she took falsehood as a rather deaf-stricken fellow. Ultimately, this being the case. The old acquaintance did just that, raising his voice, finding it a difficult task to conversate with Ellen, soon concluded in peace to no longer bother the old deafly gentleman.
Later, upon the point in which William and Ellen were to board a steamer, Ellen was addressed by a rather malevolent officer challenging her to register their names after she had requested a ticket to Philadelphia for she and her slave. Ellen displayed her hurt arm pantomiming for the officer to register for her. Stubbornly, he denied. This catching the attention of those surrounding them. Then, intervening to their rescue was a military officer in which Ellen had conversated during their travel to Savannah. The military officer stretched the truth, claiming to be a well-known friend of the hers. The captin shortly came about and signed for Ellen, taking all responsibilty in order not to lose them as passengers.
The next day Ellen and William arrived at Wilmington, North Carolina, took their places upon the train. Yet, before leaving, William was questioned by an officer and was made to retrieve Ellen for further cross-examining. Ellen was asked to provide proof that she was the rightful owner of her slave. Ellen could provide no proof. Then, the bell rang for the train to leave, and the officer was forced to make a decision as to whether to keep them obtained or let to them carry on. Shortly, they were allowed to carry on as the officer felt that everything was alright. He then passed word to the clerk, confirming that it was okay to let Ellen and William continue on to their destination. Sometime shortly after, Ellen and William arrived safely in Philadelphia, and knelt down on their knees to thank God mercifully.
It was there in Philadelphia where they received kindness and generosity from their dear abolotionist friends and there where Ellen was a seamstress and William a cabinet-maker.
Though in 1850, the Fugitive Slave Bill was passed allowing escaped slaves to be recaptured and sent back to slavery. Ellen and William were the first slaves to be sought out after this Bill was passed. Two slave-catchers attempted to obtain them, but failed, and shortly after left Philadelphia due to safe being. Ellen and William were then forced to leave the country and head for England. During the journey, Ellen became unmistakably ill, but upon her arrival to Liverpool where they were free from prejudice, several weeks later Ellen recovered.
Finally, Ellen and William were safe from the clutches of slavery. The two stayed in England until the end of the war, and then returned back to America; and there they established a plantation in which the poverty stricken could work, live, and have their children schooled.
