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The Man Who Mailed Himself From Slavery to Freedom
Henry “Box” Brown a unique and successful way to escape bondage
The horrible and cruel institution of American slavery made many in bondage go to extraordinary lengths to survive and in some cases escape. One former slave who came up with one of the most unique ways to gain freedom was Henry “Box” Brown, who successfully mailed himself out of slavery.
Born around 1815 or 1816 Virginia into slavery on the Hermitage plantation in Louisa County, Brown labored in the tobacco industry. Around the age of 15 his owner rented him out to a Richmond tobacco factory. It was common practice of the time to monetize slaves in other ways than manual labor on the property of the owner.
Reaching adulthood, Brown married another slave named Nancy and together they had four children. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to enjoy the same experiences as most married couples, and in fact their marriage wasn’t even considered legal at the time. He lived in a small house near his factory job while she lived on a different plantation, only able to see each other occasionally.
Years after reaching freedom, Brown wrote a biography titled Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written By Himself. He had strong words of praise for his former owner:
