Ellen Craft

White Passing Hall of Fame would like to give our highest possible honors for extraordinary achievements in White Passing to Ellen Craft.

She walked out of slavery and into freedom by pretending to be white and male and rich and disabled on one wild four day journey.

In 1848 Ellen Craft was a 22-year old enslaved woman in Macon, Georgia.

She was the daughter of a slavemaster and an enslaved woman.

She also had a 24-year old husband, William Craft, an enslaved carpenter whose owner let him do jobs around town.

William said to Ellen, You know, we could escape if we could get people to think you're White. She sure did look White.

VIDEO: Ellen Craft, The White Passing Hall of Fame

But in 1848 no respectable White woman would be travelling alone with a Black servant - but if Ellen could also pass for a man? It was an extremely dangerous idea...if they were caught they might be sent to prison.