“My Mind was Liberty or Death:” Elizabeth Blakeley’s Escape to Freedom

Boston served as a destination for many people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad. Freedom seekers arriving in the city found that Boston's tightly knit free Black community provided support and a welcome sanctuary as they began their new lives. This article highlights the journey of a freedom seeker, Elizabeth Blakeley, who escaped to Boston. To explore additional stories, visit Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub.

Born enslaved in North Carolina, Elizabeth Blakeley faced terrible treatment by her enslaver. Determined to escape, Blakeley hid on a vessel headed north to Boston, thwarting authorities attempts to find her. She survived a four-week long journey, arriving in Boston as a free person. A few weeks after her arrival, Blakeley shared her story at an anti-slavery meeting in Faneuil Hall. Due to her courageous escape, Blakeley chose her own life path, living in Toronto and Massachusetts.

Explore the story map below to learn about Elizabeth Blakeley's journey to freedom. Click "Get Started" to enter the map. To read more about each point, click "More" or scroll down to view the map, historical images, and accompanying text. To navigate between the points, please use the "Next Stop" button at the bottom of the slides or the arrows on either side of the main image. To view a larger version of the main image depicted below the map, click on the image.

Elizabeth Blakeley

c.1835 - March 31, 1919

Explore Elizabeth Blakeley's escape to freedom.

Get Started

Map goes here. Enabling JavaScript will give you the best experience.

Elizabeth Blakeley

c.1835 - March 31, 1919

Explore Elizabeth Blakeley's escape to freedom.

Get Started

c. 1835
Wilmington, North Carolina
Enslaved in Wilmington, North Carolina, Elizabeth Blakeley experienced brutal treatment from her enslaver.

" data_zoom="12" style="display:inline-block">[

c. 1835: Wilmington, North Carolina

Born enslaved around 1835, Elizabeth Blakeley lived in Wilmington, North Carolina with her enslaver, George W. Davis. According to Thomas Jones, an enslaved man who escaped from Wilmington to New York, Blakeley faced terrible treatment from Davis. Reflecting on this at an anti-slavery rally at Faneuil Hall, Jones stated, “he knew the Slave-girl (Betsy Blakely) well…if he should tell what wrongs and sufferings she had had to endure from her owner, those present would hardly bear to hear them.”[1] We know little else about her early life in Wilmington.

Next Stop →

1850
Boston, Massachusetts
Eager to be free, Blakeley hid on a boat headed for Boston, thwarting authorities looking for her onboard.

" data_zoom="14" style="display:inline-block">[

1850: Boston, Massachusetts

Determined to escape enslavement, Blakeley, at about 15 years old, used her location in a port city to her advantage. In December of 1849, Blakeley learned that a ship docked in Wilmington Harbor had been scheduled for a trip to Boston. The night before the ship departed, Blakeley snuck onboard and hid herself in a small space. The next morning her enslaver, George W. Davis, learned of her escape and suspected that Blakeley may have hid herself on a northbound ship. Describing what happened next, a correspondent from the Boston Post wrote,

The authorities at Wilmington, almost knowing her to be on board, made repeated searches, and smoked the vessel several times, after loudly announcing that they would smother her if she did not show herself. [2]
Blakeley did not reveal herself, and the ship left Wilmington for Boston. Years later, when reflecting on the story of Blakeley, Wendell Phillips recalled, “she lay while her inhuman master, almost certain she was on board the vessel, called out to her, ‘you had better come out! I am going to smoke the vessel!’ She tells: I heard him call, but my mind was liberty or death.”[3]

Next Stop →

January 24, 1850
Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
After weeks of hiding on the vessel, Blakeley arrived in Boston, where abolitionists welcomed her and shared her story.

" data_zoom="16" style="display:inline-block">[

January 24, 1850: Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts

After a four-week journey, delayed because of bad weather, Elizabeth Blakeley arrived in Boston. Though suffering from badly frostbitten feet, she survived the rough conditions and made it to free soil. A few weeks after her arrival in Boston, abolitionists held their 18th annual meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society at Faneuil Hall. During the Thursday evening session, Lucy Stone, a leading anti-slavery activist, brought Blakeley onto the stage. As a correspondent for The Liberator wrote, “Lucy Stone came forward, took the slave girl by the hand, welcomed her to our midst, and appealed to the audience against that Union and Constitution which had subjected her young sister to such awful suffering and violence.”[4] Those in attendance later passed a resolution calling for the removal of Blakeley’s enslaver, George W. Davis, from his post as British Consul for Wilmington, North Carolina.

Next Stop →

1855
New Haven, Connecticut
Elizabeth Blakeley continued living in New England over the next few years, residing in Boston and New Haven.

" data_zoom="12" style="display:inline-block">[

1855: New Haven, Connecticut

Little is known about Blakeley’s life in the years following the Anti-Slavery meeting at Faneuil Hall. She married a man named William Hudson in Boston in 1854, and, by 1855, census records indicate that she moved to New Haven, Connecticut with him.

Next Stop →

1857
Toronto, Canada
Black abolitionist William C. Nell paid for Blakeley to travel north to Canada.

" data_zoom="12" style="display:inline-block">[

1857: Toronto, Canada

On May 8, 1857 the Boston Vigilance Committee reimbursed William Cooper Nell fifteen dollars for “Betsey Blakely to Canada.”[5] It appears that Blakeley, William, and their growing family settled in Toronto’s St. John’s Ward, a historic 19th century Black neighborhood.

Next Stop →

c. 1870s
Chelsea, Massachusetts
In the 1870s Blakeley and her family returned to Massachussets, and years later she attended the centennial celebration of William Lloyd Garrison's birth at Faneuil Hall.

" data_zoom="12" style="display:inline-block">[

c. 1870s: Chelsea, Massachusetts

After a few years in Toronto, Blakeley and her family moved back to Massachusetts sometime in the 1870s. Living in the greater Boston area for the rest of her life, Blakeley returned to Faneuil Hall in 1909, nearly sixty years after her first visit, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of William Lloyd Garrison’s birth. Describing the ceremony, Miss Ethel Lewis wrote, “The hall was well filled. Upon the platform were: Mr. John J. Smith, Mrs. Betsey Blakeley Hudson, known as ‘Mr. Garrison’s gift,’ escaped fugitive slave, who was brought from the wharf to an anti-slavery meeting in Faneuil Hall…”[6]

Next Stop →

Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett, Massachusetts
Decades after her risky escape, Elizabeth Blakeley died in 1919.

" data_zoom="14" style="display:inline-block">[

March 31, 1919: Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett, Massachusetts

Elzabeth Blakeley died in Chelsea, Massachusetts in 1919 around the age of 84. She is buried in the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery with her husband William. Blakeley’s story exemplifies the boldness and courage of individuals that seized their freedom on the Underground Railroad. As Wendell Phillips said when describing Blakeley, “She came North, half frozen, in the most inclement month of the year…Just able to stand, fresh from that baptism of suffering for her liberty…”[7]

Finished

EBlakeley_StoryMap_getStarted = function() {
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_getStarted div.getstartedmodal").animate({top:400},500);
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_getStarted").animate({opacity:"hide"},400);
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").animate({opacity:1},500,function(){
jQuery("html, body").animate({scrollTop: jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_map").offset().top},500,function(){
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").slick("slickGoTo", 1);
});
});
//});
}
EBlakeley_StoryMap_goStory = function() {
jQuery("html, body").animate({scrollTop: jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").offset().top},500)
}
EBlakeley_StoryMap_goMapNext = function() {
jQuery("html, body").animate({scrollTop: jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_map").offset().top},500,function(){
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").slick('slickNext');
});
}
var npmapJS = document.createElement('script');
npmapJS.src = 'https://www.nps.gov/lib/npmap.js/4.0.0/npmap.min.js';
npmapJS.onload = function(){
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_map").text("")
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap = L.npmap.map({
"baseLayers": [
'cartodb-positron'
],
"center": {
"lat": parseFloat(jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_storyMap")[0].attributes.data_latitude.value),
"lng": parseFloat(jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_storyMap")[0].attributes.data_longitude.value)
},
"div": "EBlakeley_StoryMap_map",
"homeControl": false,
"overlays": [],
"smallzoomControl": false,
"zoom": parseInt(jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_storyMap")[0].attributes.data_zoom.value),
"maxZoom":parseInt(18),
"minZoom":parseInt(2)
});
EBlakeley_StoryMap_data = jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story div.sliderContent")
EBlakeley_StoryMap_markers = [];
EBlakeley_StoryMap_geoJsonFeatures = [];
for(let x = 0; x < EBlakeley_StoryMap_data.length; x++)
{
if(EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_marker.value != '' && EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_marker.value != 'null')
{
console.log(x + ": " + EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_marker.value)
marker = L.marker({lat:EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_latitude.value,lng:EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_longitude.value},{icon:L.npmap.icon.maki({'marker-symbol':EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_marker.value})});
marker.bindPopup(EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_pop.value + "More

")
marker.on("click",function(){jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").slick('slickGoTo',x)})
marker.addTo(EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap);
EBlakeley_StoryMap_markers.push(marker);
if(x > 1)
{
leaderPoly = L.polyline([[EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x-1].attributes.data_latitude.value,EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x-1].attributes.data_longitude.value],[EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_latitude.value,EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_longitude.value]])
leaderPoly.addTo(EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap);
}
}
else
{
EBlakeley_StoryMap_markers.push('');
}
if(EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_geojson.value != "" && EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_geojson.value != "undefined")
{
var gJparsed = JSON.parse(EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_geojson.value)
geoJsonFeature = L.geoJson(gJparsed,{
style: function(feature){console.log(feature);return {color:feature.properties.stroke,fillColor:feature.properties.fill,weight:feature.properties['stroke-width'],opacity:feature.properties['stroke-opacity'],fillOpacity:feature.properties['fill-opacity']}}
});
geoJsonFeaturePopup = L.popup().setLatLng([EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_latitude.value,EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_longitude.value]).setContent(EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[x].attributes.data_pop.value + "More

");
geoJsonFeature.on("click",function(){jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").slick('slickGoTo',x)})
geoJsonFeature.addTo(EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap);
EBlakeley_StoryMap_geoJsonFeatures.push(geoJsonFeaturePopup);
}
else
{
EBlakeley_StoryMap_geoJsonFeatures.push('')
}
}
var slickJS = document.createElement('script');
slickJS.src = '//cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/slick-carousel@1.8.1/slick/slick.min.js';
slickJS.onload = function(){
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").slick({
dots: true,
infinite: true,
speed: 300,
slidesToShow: 1,
draggable:false,
swipe:false
});
jQuery("#EBlakeley_StoryMap_story").on('beforeChange', function(event, slick, currentSlide, nextSlide){
try
{
console.log(nextSlide);
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.closePopup();
EBlakeley_StoryMap_flying = true;
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.flyTo({lat:EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[nextSlide].attributes.data_latitude.value,lng:EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[nextSlide].attributes.data_longitude.value},EBlakeley_StoryMap_data[nextSlide].attributes.data_zoom.value)
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker = EBlakeley_StoryMap_markers[nextSlide];
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentGeoJson = EBlakeley_StoryMap_geoJsonFeatures[nextSlide];
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker._icon.style.zIndex = 1000;
}
catch(e)
{
console.log("No marker for " + nextSlide)
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.closePopup();
}
});
};
document.body.appendChild(slickJS);
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.on('zoomend',function(){
if(EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker && EBlakeley_StoryMap_flying)
{
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker._icon.style.zIndex = 1000;
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker.openPopup();
}
else
{
console.log("No marker")
if(EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentGeoJson && EBlakeley_StoryMap_flying)
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentGeoJson.openOn(EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap);
}
EBlakeley_StoryMap_flying = false;
});
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.on('moveend',function(){
try
{
EBlakeley_StoryMap_currentMarker._icon.style.zIndex = 1000;
}
catch(e)
{
console.log("No marker")
}
});
setTimeout(function(){
EBlakeley_StoryMap_NPMap.invalidateSize();
jQuery(".leaflet-container").removeClass("leaflet-touch-drag");
jQuery(".leaflet-container").css("-ms-touch-action","none");
jQuery(".leaflet-container").css("touch-action","none");
},500);
};
document.body.appendChild(npmapJS);
var npmapCSS = document.createElement('link');
npmapCSS.href = "https://www.nps.gov/lib/npmap.js/4.0.0/npmap.min.css";
npmapCSS.rel = "stylesheet";
document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(npmapCSS);
var slickCSS = document.createElement('link');
slickCSS.href = "//cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/slick-carousel@1.8.1/slick/slick.css";
slickCSS.rel = "stylesheet";
document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(slickCSS);
var slick_themeCSS = document.createElement('link');
slick_themeCSS.href = "//cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/slick-carousel@1.8.1/slick/slick-theme.css";
slick_themeCSS.rel = "stylesheet";
document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(slick_themeCSS);
var slick_fix = document.createElement('style');
slick_fix.innerText = ".NPStoryMap_getStarted_overlay{width:100%;max-width:1024px;position:absolute;z-index:1000;background:black;background:radial-gradient(circle, rgba(0,0,0,1) 0%, rgba(255,255,255,0) 85%);} .NPStoryMap_getStarted_overlay .getstartedmodal{position:absolute;text-align:center;width:300px;height:80%;border:1px solid black;margin-left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);margin-top:5%;padding:5% 2% 2% 2%;} .slick-arrow{height:300px;width:5rem;} .slick-arrow:before {color:black;font-size:2rem;opacity:1;} .slick-next{right:1rem;top:200px;z-index:100;} .slick-prev{left:1rem;top:200px;z-index:100;} .sliderContent img{max-width:90%;max-height:400px;padding:1rem;} .sliderContent{user-select:text;} .slick-dots{top:-1rem;bottom:initial;}"
document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(slick_fix)

Where this belongs

• Boston African American National Historic Site

Where this page came from

This page was imported from National Park Service. Produced by the U.S. National Park Service and, as a work of the United States government, in the public domain.

Nobody has written it yet — it is the source material at a new address, which is why search engines are asked to skip it and why no one earns from it. It is up for grabs: take it on, and it is yours to rewrite and to earn from.