author
Ellen Craft
1826–1891
Born into slavery in Georgia, she became famous for a daring escape to freedom in 1848 by disguising herself as a white male traveler. She later spoke out against slavery and helped tell one of the most remarkable freedom stories of the nineteenth century.
1 Audiobook
Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom Or, The Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery
by William Craft, Ellen Craft
About the author
Born in Georgia in 1826, Ellen Craft was the daughter of an enslaved woman and her white enslaver. Because she could pass as white, she and her husband William Craft planned a bold escape from slavery in December 1848: she traveled disguised as a sickly white gentleman, while William posed as her enslaved servant on the journey north.
After reaching freedom, the Crafts became active in the abolitionist movement. Their story drew wide attention, and after slave catchers threatened them under the Fugitive Slave Act, they left the United States for Britain, where they continued speaking and working against slavery.
Ellen and William later published Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom, a memoir that preserved their escape story for future generations. She is remembered not only for her courage and ingenuity, but also for the steady public work she did to support freedom and human dignity.