The Insane Story of The Slave Who Literally Mailed Himself To Freedom

Henry "Box" Brown was born in the state of Virginia in either 1815 or 1816. (Although records were kept of plantation slaves - which Brown was - they weren't always accurate when it came to recording births). In 1808, the United States banned all slave imports, meaning that any new slave workers had to be those who were born on American soil. It sounds ridiculous now, but at the time, many southern states encouraged slave "breeding" programs, treating them like cattle. Plus, Virginia was one of the harshest slave states, full of labor-intensive tobacco growing plantations. Slaves in this state were also not permitted to learn how to read and write. 

At some point prior to 1848, Henry "Box" Brown married a fellow slave - a woman named Nancy who was owned by another slave holder. He had to obtain permission from both his owner and hers in order for the marriage to be officiated. Although slaves didn't legally marry like free people did during the time (there were no government forms or marriage licenses involved in their unions) a ceremony still took place. Brown and Nancy went on to have several children, all of whom were considered the property of Nancy's owners. She was also sold more than once during their marriage. One of her owners, Samuel Cottrell, took money from Brown in exchange for promising not to sell her and the children again. Of course, he went back on his word and sold them in August, 1848. Brown never saw them again, and historians have not located them in any existing plantation records. 

Brown was criticized later in his life for not doing more to find his wife and children. People believed that since he made money on the lecture circuit and, later, for his stage performances, surely he could have found them and purchased them their freedom. 

After his wife and children essentially vanished (they were sold to a plantation outside of Richmond, Virginia), Henry "Box" Brown came up with a plan to escape. He hired a local abolitionist and storekeeper, Samuel Smith, as well as a free Black man named James C.A. Smith, to help him with his scheme. James C.A. Smith built Brown a wooden box that was three-feet long, two-feet wide, and around two-and-a-half-feet deep. It was just large enough to hold a man, albeit one in a very uncomfortable, knees-bent position. Samuel Smith mailed the crate - using his storefront as a cover - to Philadelphia. 

Before Henry "Box" Brown could begin his escape, he first had to come up with a legitimate plan to get out of the fields that day. Only very extreme injuries could keep a slave from working - things like sprained ankles and pulled muscles weren't enough of an excuse. So, Brown pulled out some sulfuric acid, also known as oil of vitriol, and burned his hands very badly, practically to the bone. This was enough to get out of that day's work. However, he still had to travel in his box to freedom with his hands hurting due to the burns, as there was no way that he could receive any first aid while in transit.

On March 24, 1849, the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee - a group of abolitionists - received the crate that Henry "Box" Brown had hidden himself in. His journey was treacherous, as no one knew that the box contained human cargo. He even spent some of the trip upside down, which increased the pressure in his eyes. Thankfully, the committee was expecting human cargo, and opened the box immediately. Brown popped out of the box, and quickly passed out. All that he had had to eat and drink for the past 27 hours was a few crackers and a small amount of water. Once he was conscious again, he burst into song, reciting his own version of a psalm from the Bible - he was free. 

Frederick Douglass criticized Henry "Box" Brown several times for publicizing the way in which he escaped slavery. Douglass believed that other slaves could have used the same method of mailing themselves had the details been kept quiet. In fact, several slaves attempted to have the same duo - Samuel Smith and James C.A. Smith - build and ship them in crates as well, but their plans were thwarted by suspicious people who had heard of Brown's story.