Henry “Box” Brown

1. Henry “Box” Brown By: Spencer Dixon

2. Thesis • By analyzing the lives of escaped slaves, find what gave them the courage to free themselves. What were some of the most important things a slave needed to successfully escape?

3. Who is Henry “Box” Brown? • Born on a plantation in Louisa County, Virginia around 1815. • He was born into slavery, but was much better off than most slaves at the time. • He and his brother wore shoes, vests, and hats, which was extremely rare. • Lived a luxurious life compared to the average slave, until his Master died. • Family divided and a new way of life begins for Henry at the age of 15.

4. Separation • Separation lacerates the soul harder than any cow skin or whip will ever wound the back. The marks of pain will heal but the soul stays damaged forever. • Frederick Douglass and Henry Brown remark on how the hardest part of slavery was the split from your family or friends. • Frederick even went as far to state that thousands of slaves sole purpose for not trying to escape was because they wanted to stay with the ones they loved.

5. Dodging the Whip • Henry, his brothers and sisters, and his parents were all divided among his plantation masters four sons. • They were divided based on money value with absolutely no regard for social ties. “Niggers have no feelings” (pg 29) was the common expression. • Luckily for Henry, his master was quite fond of him and before his death, left stern commands to William (Henrys new master) to treat Henry well. • William obeyed his fathers wish and even believed Henry to be a “smart boy who must never be whipped”.

6. Family Separated • After many years of dealing with mean overseers and other terrible men, Henry manages to marry and start a family. • He trusts the wrong man who asks Henry for $50 to ensure his families security by buying his wife and children. Henry gives in and gives him the money and in return is tricked. • After promising not to sell his family, the owner breaks his promise and his family is put in jail in preparation to being sent away. • All Henry could do was send a friend with money and supplies to the jail.

7. Freedom at last! • With the loss of his family, Henry soon becomes determined to free himself. • He pays a local store-keeper half of his savings for advice on how to escape. Disappointed with his answers he turns back to his friend Dr. Smith. • Soon he comes up with his brilliant idea “I prayed fervently that he who seeth in secret and knew the inmost desires of my heart, would lend me his aid in bursting my fetters asunder, and in restoring me to the possession of those rights, of which men had robbed me; when the idea suddenly flashed across my mind of shutting myself up in a box, and getting myself conveyed as dry goods to a free state.” (58)

8. Escape Plan • With the help of Dr. Smith he injures his finger. • The store keeper gets permission from his friend in Philadelphia to have Henry’s box sent to his address. • Henry, Dr. Smith, and the store-keeper had a carpenter construct the box and Henry was put into the it with only some water and a gimlet in order to make more holes for air if necessary. • On some points in his voyage he is thrown into odd positions and suffered a great deal regardless of the sign saying “this side up with care”

9. Henry was not alone… • Henry was not alone on his voyage for freedom. He was just 1 of the over 3,000,000 slaves in the US. • Some other slaves who fought for freedom include: Frederick Douglass, William and Ellen Craft, and Harriet Tubman. • Each one went through terrible situations but all overcame extreme obstacles to become free.

10. For Love • As previously stated “Separation lacerates the soul harder than any cow skin or whip will ever wound the back. The marks of pain will heal but the soul stays damaged forever.” all of these slaves fought for love. • Whether it was the separation from father to son, husband and wife, or brother to sister, it has become evident that all of these slaves are fueled by love. • In some cases the love was strong enough to endure the pain and in the cases of the select few it gave them the strength to escape.

11. Henry’s Grave Mistake • After becoming free, these slaves became extreme activists in order to free their fellow brothers and sisters in chains. • Unfortunately Henry exploits his freedom for his own benefit. • He publishes his book on his escape when he should have waited. • Frederick Douglass was extremely angry at Henry for giving away his secrets which could have been used to free many many more…

12. Why is he important? • His journey provided slaves with hope. • After being stripped of everything, these slaves needed one thing to survive. Hope. • Henry helped to create awareness to white abolitionists to start trying to free more slaves. • Although he made the fatal error of publishing his escape he did tour the states giving inspirational speeches to help out the cause.

13. Conclusion • What key things were needed in the escape of a slave? • 1)Love; towards family/friends • 2)Hope; that it is possible and they will survive • 3)Help from white abolitionists or freed slaves • 4)And finally…. Determination to never give up regardless of what situation they got put into. • Once a slave achieved all of these traits they would be well on their way to freedom compared to an ordinary slave.

14. The End.

15. Bibliography • Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass His Early Life as a Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History. New York: Collier Books, 1962. Questia. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. • Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Questia. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. • Heglar, Charles J. Rethinking the Slave Narrative: Slave Marriage and the Narratives of Henry Bibb and William and Ellen Craft. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. Questia. Web. 31 Jan. 2010. • Newman, Richard, and Henry Louis Gates. Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Questia. Web. 31 Jan. 2010.