The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown

Henry Brown was a public speaker and magician whose story and work was critical for the end of slavery in the 19th century. While enslaved, he had himself shipped North in a wooden box to escape.

• Watch: Did You Know “Henry Box Brown” (YouTube) 6 minutes
• Learn: Henry Box Brown for Students (Brittanica)

About Henry Brown

Henry Box Brown was born enslaved on a plantation in Louisa County, Virginia and forced to work at a tobacco factory in the city. His pregnant wife and three children were enslaved on a neighboring plantation – until one day, Brown heard the news that they were to be sold away to a plantation owner in North Carolina.

Mourning their loss, Brown was adamant about securing his freedom. He got in contact with the Underground Railroad, a network of Black people and white abolitionists who created pathways for enslaved people to find freedom up north. Many believe that the Underground Railroad worked through secret, underground passageways, but that wasn’t common. Instead, they found various routes to transport people up North undercover. More often, the Railroad inspired enslaved people to forge their own escape. A small, growing pathway at the time was using the mail system. So, they devised a plan to ship Brown up north in a shipping box that was just 3 feet long, 2 1/2 feet deep, and 2 feet wide (Library of Congress).

“Much of what we call the Underground Railroad was actually operated clandestinely by African Americans themselves through urban vigilance committees and rescue squads that were often led by free Blacks.”

David Blight, Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory

ccordOn the day of his escape, Brown spent 27 hours inside the box, which traveled over 300 miles north to Philadelphia via wagon, ferry, and railway. Because many people didn’t know there was a person inside, the box was handled roughly, sometimes being flipped upside down. But he finally made it, arriving in the safe hands of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia and

William Still, a freed Black man who was known as one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad movement (PBS).

Henry Brown could have disappeared; savored his freedom and recovered from his journey. But he didn’t. Instead, he used his story as a testament to ending slavery in the U.S. He adopted the middle name "Box" as a testament to what he overcame and traveled across the Northern U.S. and Europe outlining the horrors of enslavement and the reason for freedom. A drawing of himself emerging from the box, often referred to as The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown, acted as a powerful piece of anti-slavery propaganda in the U.S. As the Library of Congress states, "the box itself became an abolitionist metaphor for the inhumanity and spiritual suffocation of slavery" (LOC),

In 1849, he published a first-hand account of his journey. Narrative of the Life of Henry Box Brown became a powerful narrative recounting the horrors of slavery. Later in his life, he evolved into a magician, disappearing and reappearing out of the same box that liberated him alongside other illusions and magical feats. His work as a performer granted him the freedom to travel and gain economic independence, eventually buying property in Canada and starting a new family. His legacy didn’t just help to end slavery in its form during that time, but created opportunities for other Black entertainers to perform.

Reflection Questions

• Henry “Box” Brown used performance as a way to educate people and encourage them to take action. Consider: Which artist(s) do you admire today? What does their work educate people on? How does their art encourage others to take action?
• Henry “Box” Brown’s narrative was powerful because he told his direct, individual experience with a violent system. Why is it important to listen to those directly impacted by systemic issues? How does their experience differ from those in power?