FREEDOM IN A BOX (Henry "Box" Brown)
Grade 3 Susan Beachy; Links by Martha Failor
Henry Brown was heartbroken. His master had sold his wife and children. Henry hadn't expected this kind of treatment. He had grown up as a privileged black plantation slave used to wearing good clothes and eating good food and working fair hours. Even after his master moved him to Richmond, Virginia to help in the tobacco manufacturing firm, Henry had been treated well. Henry could remember recieving only one beating in his whole life. Yes, he had been treated well - until now.
It was true that through the years questions and longings had plagued him. Sometimes Henry wondered why it was that white people could own black people. Sometimes Henry longed for the freedom that the white man had - freedom to make a living of his own choosing, freedom to build a real life for his family like the whites did, freedom to have book learning, freedom for his children to have book learning, Freedom- just plain freedom to make his own decisions and be his own man. But Henry had always turned away from these feelings and pushed them back down deep into his heart where he would not think about them, where they would not get in the way of obeying his master. After all, he and his family had enough to eat and they were not treated cruelly - until today, until now. His master had sold Nancy and the children! Henry felt the cold, cruel blade of that truth cut down deep into his heart where all his longings had been hidden. Henry felt all those longings for freedom come rushing out. This time Henry did not try to push those feelings back down into his heart. Now Henry vowed to be free!
Several times in 1848 Henry made plans to escape from his master. Each time he gave up on the plan. Finally, with the help of friends, Henry got away from his master but, still, he did not know how to cross the border to reach freedom in the North. It was then that Henry got a "heavenly vision" to box himself up. He was excited! But could this unbelievably far fetched idea possibly work? Samuel A. Smith, a white friend, believed in Henry's vision and helped him make the plans to carry it out. Samuel made plans for Henry's friends from the Vigilance Committee in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to recieve a package from him that would have Henry inside! Samuel found a wooden box that was three feet long and two feet wide that Henry could fit into if he really scrunched himself up. Henry padded the box with woolen cloth. He then crawled into the box and Samuel nailed the top on. Henry's unusual trip to freedom had begun.
For twenty-six long hours, Henry was in that box. Most of that time he was upside down. He was jarred and jolted on the wagon that Samuel used to take him to the Richmond office of the Adams Express Company. Eventually, the box with Henry inside was put on a train. Henry slept a little on the train, but it was hard to do being upside down. Hours later, the box and Henry were put on a steamboat. By this time the woolen cloth had begun to scratch and itch him. He was very thirsty and his head hurt from hanging upside down for so long. Muscles all over his body hurt from being cramped up. Henry began to feel panicked and claustrophobic like he had to get out of the box. He desperately wanted to stretch his legs and arms. He started to wonder if he would still be alive when his friends in Philadelphia opened the box. Henry tried to find the courage that he had when he first crawled into the box. Suddenly Henry thought, "I crawled into a box to get out of a box!" Henry realized that once he reached his friends in Philadelphia, he would be free of the wooden box and the "box" of slavery. Henry became very determined to stick it out to the end.
FREEDOM IN A BOX (Henry "Box" Brown) Continued
Some time later, Henry again felt the box being lifted. He again felt the jolts and jars of a wagon, this time especially painful to his cramped muscles and hurting head. But, Hallelujah! when the wagon at last came to a stop, Henry heard the sound of nails tearing lose as his friends ripped the top of the wooden box off. Henry had made it. He was still alive and well. He was a Free man! Slowly Henry unfolded his body and stepped from the box. His voice burst into song and with great feeling he sang the spiritual: "I waited patiently for the Lord and he heard my prayer."
If you would like to access another story about a slave who escaped, check out this site!
Epilogue
Henry's novel escape made him famous in the North and in the South. From that time on, he became known as Henry "Box" Brown. Henry became active on the abolitionist lecture circuit, touring with his box. After the Fugitive Slave Law was enacted in 1850, two slave agents tried to return him to the South. Henry relocated to England and lectured there against slavery for four years.
FREEDOM IN A BOX (Henry "Box" Brown)
Review Questions:
- What size was the box Henry was nailed into?
- How long was Henry in the box?
- What position was Henry in during most of the time he was in the box?
- Why was the box padded with woolen cloth?
- Henry was fairly well treated as a slave. Why do you think he wanted to escape?
- If you were a slave, what would you be willing to do to escape?
- Why did Henry sing the particular song that he did?
FREEDOM IN A BOX (Henry "Box" Brown)
Outline:
I. Introduction
A. wife and children sold
B. Henry's feelings
C. vows to be free
II. Escape plan
A. escaped from master
B. box escape planned
III. Box escape
A. 26 hours in box
B. mostly upside down
C. pain and thirst
D. panic and desperation
E. renewed determination
IV. Journey's end
A. top ripped off
B. alive and well
C. free man
D. sang spiritual
V. Epilouge
A. "Box" added to name
B. lectured on abolitionist circuit
C. relocated to England
Props:
3ft. x 2ft. cardboard box
woolen cloth
Answers to Questions:
- 3 feet long and 2 feet wide
- 26 hours
- upside down; on his head
- to keep Henry from getting badly hurt if the box was roughly used
- his wife and children were sold; he wanted to be free to make his own decisions
- answers will vary
- he waited to be free from slavery and he waited 26 hours to be free from the box
Sources:
http://www.netnoir.com/spotlight/bhm/jbhm13.html
The African American Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish Cor. New York, 1993.
Encyclopedia of Black America. McGraw Hill, Inc. New York, 1981.