Also American

Person · 1826–1891

Ellen Craft

Posed as a white enslaver to escape slavery with her husband in 1848.

A self-liberator of the [[underground-railroad]].

Light-skinned enough to pass as white, Ellen Craft disguised herself as a sickly young planter — bandaged to hide her smooth face and inability to write — while her husband played her servant on the 1,000-mile journey north.

On the timeline

  1. December 25, 1848
    The escape of William and Ellen Craft

    Disguised as a white planter and his valet, the Crafts complete a 1,000-mile escape from Georgia, reaching free Philadelphia on Christmas Day.

Resources