Who was Henry Box Brown?

Henry "Box" Brown (1815-1897) was an enslaved person who escaped to freedom at the age of 34 by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Virginia to Philadelphia in 1849. The journey took 27 hours, after which he was received by the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. Afterwards, Brown became a public speaker and performer for the abolitionist movement, sharing his experiences and singing a hymn he composed after emerging from the box. He also collaborated with Charles Stearns to publish his narrative, Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide . Facing the risk of recapture under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Brown moved to England and continued to share his story through lectures and performances.

Why was he called 'Box' Brown?

Henry "Box" Brown earned his nickname because he literally mailed himself out of slavery. After his wife and children were sold to a slaveholder in another state, Brown enlisted a carpenter to build a wooden box with an air hole. With help from friends, he shipped himself from Virginia to the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia. The grueling 27-hour journey involved travel by wagon, steamboat, and railroad. Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, he was free. He was later introduced as "Boxer" at the New England Anti-Slavery Convention and was thereafter known as Henry ("Box") Brown among abolitionists.

How did Henry Box Brown escape from slavery?

Henry "Box" Brown was an enslaved person who escaped to freedom by mailing himself in a wooden crate. After his wife and children were sold to a slaveholder in another state, Brown enlisted James C.A. Smith, Jr.'s help, a free Black man, to coordinate his escape to the North. Brown hid in a crate measuring approximately 3 feet long, 2.5 feet deep, and 2 feet wide, with three air holes. Samuel Smith arranged for the shipping company to send the crate to James Miller McKim, leader of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia. The journey lasted 27 hours, utilizing wagon, steamboat, and railroad transport. Upon arrival and being freed, Brown sang a hymn based on Psalm 40.

Where did he travel after gaining his freedom?

After gaining his freedom, Henry Box Brown became a public speaker and performer in the abolitionist movement . He shared his story at public forums, lecturing and singing a hymn he composed after emerging from the crate, along with a song about his escape. He also sold copies of his narrative and gave anti-slavery speeches throughout New England. Charles Stearns , a white abolitionist, assisted Brown in publishing his narrative.

How did Henry Box Brown share his story with others?

After escaping slavery by mailing himself in a box to Philadelphia, Henry "Box" Brown became a public speaker and performer within the abolitionist movement. He shared his experiences through lectures, songs (including a hymn sung upon his emergence from the box), and a painted panorama titled Henry Box Brown’s Mirror of Slavery . In collaboration with abolitionist Charles Stearns, Brown published Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide , a semi-autobiographical account. He toured New England with Stearns, selling the book and delivering anti-slavery speeches. Later, a second autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself , was published in England.

What impact did Henry Box Brown have on the abolitionist movement?

Henry "Box" Brown significantly impacted the abolitionist movement through his daring escape from slavery and subsequent career as a public speaker and performer. After his escape in 1849, he shared his experiences at public forums, lecturing and performing a hymn he composed upon emerging from the crate. Brown met Charles Stearns, and together they published Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide . They sold copies of the book and gave anti-slavery speeches throughout New England. Brown also created Henry Box Brown’s Mirror of Slavery , a moving panorama of paintings depicting his life as a slave and the history of slavery. However, with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Brown feared recapture and left for England, continuing to tour with his panorama. Despite criticism for excessive showmanship and focus on profit, Brown's narratives and performances contributed to the abolitionist cause by raising awareness and generating support.

Henry Box Brown

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The Resurrection of Henry “Box” Brown at Philadelphia

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Byname of:: Henry Brown

Born:: 1815, Louisa county, Virginia, U.S.

Died:: June 15, 1897, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (aged 82)

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Henry Box Brown

American public speaker and entertainer

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Top Questions

Who was Henry Box Brown?
Henry "Box" Brown (1815-1897) was an enslaved person who escaped to freedom at the age of 34 by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Virginia to Philadelphia in 1849. The journey took 27 hours, after which he was received by the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.

Afterwards, Brown became a public speaker and performer for the abolitionist movement, sharing his experiences and singing a hymn he composed after emerging from the box. He also collaborated with Charles Stearns to publish his narrative, Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide.

Facing the risk of recapture under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Brown moved to England and continued to share his story through lectures and performances.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Henry Box Brown
2. 6 Ingenious Escapes: Shipping out, literally
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why was he called 'Box' Brown?
Henry "Box" Brown earned his nickname because he literally mailed himself out of slavery. After his wife and children were sold to a slaveholder in another state, Brown enlisted a carpenter to build a wooden box with an air hole. With help from friends, he shipped himself from Virginia to the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia. The grueling 27-hour journey involved travel by wagon, steamboat, and railroad. Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, he was free. He was later introduced as "Boxer" at the New England Anti-Slavery Convention and was thereafter known as Henry ("Box") Brown among abolitionists.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Henry Box Brown
2. 6 Ingenious Escapes: Shipping out, literally
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Henry Box Brown escape from slavery?
Henry "Box" Brown was an enslaved person who escaped to freedom by mailing himself in a wooden crate. After his wife and children were sold to a slaveholder in another state, Brown enlisted James C.A. Smith, Jr.'s help, a free Black man, to coordinate his escape to the North. Brown hid in a crate measuring approximately 3 feet long, 2.5 feet deep, and 2 feet wide, with three air holes.

Samuel Smith arranged for the shipping company to send the crate to James Miller McKim, leader of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia. The journey lasted 27 hours, utilizing wagon, steamboat, and railroad transport. Upon arrival and being freed, Brown sang a hymn based on Psalm 40.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where did he travel after gaining his freedom?
After gaining his freedom, Henry Box Brown became a public speaker and performer in the abolitionist movement. He shared his story at public forums, lecturing and singing a hymn he composed after emerging from the crate, along with a song about his escape. He also sold copies of his narrative and gave anti-slavery speeches throughout New England. Charles Stearns, a white abolitionist, assisted Brown in publishing his narrative.
1 Britannica Source
1. Henry Box Brown
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Henry Box Brown share his story with others?
After escaping slavery by mailing himself in a box to Philadelphia, Henry "Box" Brown became a public speaker and performer within the abolitionist movement. He shared his experiences through lectures, songs (including a hymn sung upon his emergence from the box), and a painted panorama titled Henry Box Brown’s Mirror of Slavery.

In collaboration with abolitionist Charles Stearns, Brown published Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide, a semi-autobiographical account. He toured New England with Stearns, selling the book and delivering anti-slavery speeches. Later, a second autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself, was published in England.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Henry Box Brown
2. 6 Ingenious Escapes: Shipping out, literally
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What impact did Henry Box Brown have on the abolitionist movement?
Henry "Box" Brown significantly impacted the abolitionist movement through his daring escape from slavery and subsequent career as a public speaker and performer.

After his escape in 1849, he shared his experiences at public forums, lecturing and performing a hymn he composed upon emerging from the crate. Brown met Charles Stearns, and together they published Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide. They sold copies of the book and gave anti-slavery speeches throughout New England.

Brown also created Henry Box Brown’s Mirror of Slavery, a moving panorama of paintings depicting his life as a slave and the history of slavery. However, with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Brown feared recapture and left for England, continuing to tour with his panorama. Despite criticism for excessive showmanship and focus on profit, Brown's narratives and performances contributed to the abolitionist cause by raising awareness and generating support.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Henry Box Brown
2. 6 Ingenious Escapes: Shipping out, literally
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Henry Box Brown (born 1815, Louisa county, Virginia, U.S.—died June 15, 1897, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was an American enslaved person who succeeded in escaping slavery by hiding in a packing crate that was shipped from the slave state of Virginia, where Brown had worked on a plantation and in a tobacco factory, to the free state of Pennsylvania. Brown subsequently joined the abolitionist movement as a public speaker and performer and later became an entertainer. After his escape, Brown attended the New England Anti-Slavery Convention, where he was jokingly introduced as “Boxer.” He was thereafter fondly known among abolitionists as Henry (“Box”) Brown.

Brown and his immediate family—his parents and seven siblings (three brothers and four sisters)—were all enslaved on a tobacco plantation near Richmond, Virginia. When their owner died, the family was divided among several slaveholders. Brown, then about 15 years old, was sent to work in a tobacco factory in Richmond. There Brown attended the First African Baptist Church, where he met and married a woman named Nancy, who was enslaved at a nearby plantation. The couple had three children before 1848, when Nancy’s abusive owner sold her and their children to an enslaver in North Carolina. Nancy was pregnant with the couple’s fourth child. Brown was devastated by the sale and vowed to escape from the cruelties of slavery.

Brown eventually asked a friend, James C.A. Smith, Jr., a free Black man, to help him escape to the North. Smith agreed to pay for the assistance of a Massachusetts-born white man, Samuel Smith. With James Smith, Brown conceived a plan in which he would hide in a wooden crate that would be sent to Pennsylvania, where slavery was virtually nonexistent. Samuel Smith arranged for the leader of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, James Miller McKim, to take possession of the crate in Philadelphia.

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On March 23, 1849, Brown crawled into a crate that was approximately 3 feet (1 metre) long, 2.5 feet (0.8 metre) deep, and 2 feet (0.6 metre) wide. The crate had three holes in it through which Brown was able to breathe. Samuel Smith took the crate to a shipping company and sent it to Philadelphia as dry goods. The crate traveled by wagon, steamboat, and railroad. Brown had an uncomfortable journey of 27 hours before McKim freed him at the office of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society. Upon his emergence Brown sang a hymn that he had prepared for his release, based on Psalm 40 of the Old Testament’s book of Psalms:

I waited patiently, I waited patiently for the Lord, for the Lord;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my calling:
I waited patiently, I waited patiently for the Lord,
And he inclined unto me, and heard my calling:
And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
Even a thanksgiving, even a thanksgiving, even a thanksgiving unto our God.
Blessed, Blessed, Blessed, Blessed is the man, Blessed is the man,
Blessed is the man that hath set his hope, his hope in the Lord;
O Lord my God, Great, Great, Great,
Great are the wondrous works which thou hast done.
Great are the wondrous works which thou hast done, which thou hast done:
If I should declare them and speak of them, they would be more, more, more than I am able to express.
I have not kept back thy loving kindness and truth from the great congregation.
I have not kept back thy loving kindness and truth from the great congregation.
Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me,
Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me, O Lord;
Let thy loving kindness and thy truth always preserve me,
Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad,
Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad, be joyful, and glad, be joyful and glad, be joyful, be joyful, be joyful, be joyful, be joyful and glad—be glad in thee.
And let such as love thy salvation,
And let such as love thy salvation, say, always,
The Lord be praised,
The Lord be praised.
Let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad,
And let such as love thy salvation, say always,
The Lord be praised,
The Lord be praised,
The Lord be praised.

Soon after his arrival Brown began telling the story of his enslavement and escape at various public forums, where he lectured and performed the hymn that he had sung upon his emergence from the crate, as well as a song about his escape based on the melody of a popular minstrel tune by Stephen Foster. His performances also included printed versions of the songs accompanied by a painted “Engraving of the Box.” Brown soon met a white abolitionist, Charles Stearns, who published in September 1849 the Narrative of Henry Box Brown, Who Escaped from Slavery Enclosed in a Box 3 Feet Long and 2 Wide. Stearns presented the book as a semi-autobiographical account of Brown’s life, written partly in Brown’s voice and partly in his own. The Narrative of Henry Box Brown thus resembled many other slave narratives, a popular genre consisting of autobiographies written or orally related by enslaved persons. Brown and Stearns spent the next two months traveling throughout New England, where they sold copies of the book and gave anti-slavery speeches. Beginning in April 1850 Brown accompanied his lectures and songs with a moving panorama of paintings, called Henry Box Brown’s Mirror of Slavery, that depicted his experiences as an enslaved person and the history and evils of slavery.

About the same time, however, the U.S. Congress passed the second Fugitive Slave Act (1850), which provided for the seizure and return of enslaved people who had escaped from one state into another or into a federal territory. Soon afterward, Brown, fearful of being captured, left for England, where he successfully toured with his slavery panorama. In May 1851 a second version of Brown’s autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown, Written by Himself, was published in England. Despite its title, Brown did not write the second Narrative himself, though it presents a fuller account of his life and contains details that only he could have provided. The actual writer of the work is unknown.

By mid-1851 James C.A. Smith, Jr., who had assisted Brown in his tours in the United States and England, had ceased his collaboration with Brown as a result of a financial dispute. Smith also chastised Brown for not trying harder to use the money he had gained from his anti-slavery tours—which eventually involved additional panoramas, reenactments of his escape, and performances of hypnotism and magic tricks—to purchase the freedom of his wife and family in the United States. Brown subsequently distanced himself from other abolitionists, who criticized him for what they considered to be excessive showmanship and concern with profit. In 1859 Brown remarried, and in 1875 the couple and their daughter, Annie, moved to the United States, where Brown continued his performances.

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