Box Henry
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This hub is dedicated to my son Kashoni.
Henry Brown was born into slavery in the year 1815. He married another slave, Mary and had three children. In 1848 they were sold to a slave owner and sent away to South Carolina.
He had one close friend. Samuel Smith, a store keeper who sympathized with Henry's dilema. He offered to get Henry in contact with a man who was a Philadelphia abolitionist named James Mckim.
Henry had a plan. A plan that would take a trustworthy individuals to help him accomplish it. Those men would be Samuel Smith and James Mckim.
Henry came up with a plan to have himself shipped, by the postal service, to a free state to find his family. He would ship himself in a box that was constructed for the shipment of dry goods.
He gave James Mckim $86 dollars out of his savings (a total of $166.00) to accept the "package".
The trip began March 29th, 1849. It would last 27 hours. His compartment would travel by train,railroad, steamboat, wagon, railroad, ferry, and delivery wagon. Through all it's travels, Henry and his container were never discovered and Henry managed to stay calm and still during the whole journey. At one point,worker's turned the container upside down so they could sit on it. Henry, having no control over the movement of the container passed out until the box was turned upright again.
Henry made it to his destination and was reuntined with his family. He was unable to purchase their freedom and had to abandon them to the white family that owned them. Some say that he had the money to purchase them but chose to seek freedom for himself instead. He later moved to England and remarried a white English women and started a new family. It's a little hard to believe that he would go through that journey and not to at least try to buy his family from their owner's. The subject still causes debate. With his new family in tow years later, they performed across the U.S. as a family magic act. It is unknown as to the whereabouts of his family members.
This is a true story. It is also a true testament to the love, devotion and determination that slaves endured and conquered during slavery.
Henry went on the become a speaker for the Anti-Slavery Society.
His time of death and cause are unknown.
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Comments
I agree. I find it hard to believe that someone would go through all that and not at least try to buy their family back.
I cant imagine life in those times, but I have to say that Box was a genius who took what was available and outsmarted the South.
Bravo on your post, been waiting a long time for another one of your posts.
very nice read ...was waiting for your post for a long time
Hamm- thanks for reading.
snehal- thanks for the comment. And thank you both for your nice comments. I hope I didn't disappoint.
Oh by the way Christine loooovvvee the avatar !
Christine - Truly you did not mean "1948."
Interesting hub and I like your pages because of the originality of them.
Fascinating story. So many have fantasized about shipping themselves. I, too. Thank you!
When I think of being enclosed in a box not knowing where I was and what was going on in the outside for 27 hours with the thought of what would happen if I were discovered hanging over my head is absolutely overwhelming. I don't think I could even cope with being nailed into a box it would completely freak me out.
Very interesting story. I wonder why, after all that he didn't buy his family back.
The story of Henry is a great one to share. It is a mystery with his kids.
Excellent and what a nice thing to do for your son. Each year my friends who own Inside-Out Camping has a special evening where campers who are attending one of their sessions are treated to a simulated evening of the underground railroad. My wife loans some of her quilts and some old guns as props for the event.
Robert Elias Ballard
Christine,
This is the first I have heard of 'Box Henry'. Thanks for the education. As bad as exhisting in the hull of a slave ship, chained and bound, exhisting in a box must have been somewhat worse. Slaves would pay any price for freedom.
It would do us all well to contemplate what we would pay for the freedoms we enjoy. I don't want to ever take it for granted. Though I know I often do. Hubs like this one make us stop and think about it.
tony0724-thanks for reading.
Gustheredneck-thanks for the correction.
2uesday-thanks
tom-have you? where would you go?
maggs224-I agree
Dave-one can only wonder huh?
Robert-that sounds so cool. my son would love that.
allmomneedstoknow-I agree.
r burow-"those who would sacrifice freedom for temporary security deserve neither." Benjamin Franklin. I agree with you R Burow.
It's a good story but so sad. It's important to read stories like this for the obvious reasons. Thank you.
flightkeeper-thank you for reading.
tony0724- Finalllllly! Someone got it!!!!! I've been waiting for someone to comment on it, but no one has. Good looking out!!!!!!!!
I never heard that story. Like others I'm surprised that he didn't try harder to reunite his family. I'm also extremely surprised that back then a mixed marriage would be so accepted and that they could be so much in the public eye. Goes to show that I still have a lot to learn :)
Very interesting story! You are a good storyteller indeed!
Henry was very clever and lucky to arrive in one piece, and alive!
He really should have bought his family after enduring all that he did.
Lovey tale... good on him in many ways (I know the bit about family's not so rewarding) yet I think what a dude to achieve so much in what was a fairly harsh period of history when so little was in control of those such as himself! Well done for sharing... TG.
Such a sad story.
tony0724 says:
3 months ago
It seems a shame Henry could not be with his family .