Also American

Person · 1824–1900

William Craft

Escaped Georgia slavery in 1848 with his wife in one of history's most ingenious disguises.

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

William Craft posed as the enslaved valet to his light-skinned wife Ellen — who passed as a white planter — as they traveled openly by train and steamer to freedom. Their memoir, "Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom," made them famous.

Slave Narratives

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