William Green (former slave) facts for kids

William Green (born around 1814 – died 1895) was an African-American man who was born into slavery in the United States. He bravely escaped from slavery and later wrote a book about his life. This book was published in 1853.

Early Life

William Green was born in Oxford Neck, Maryland. He was born just three months before his mother became free. This meant that William was born into slavery.

When his mother's old owner died, William became the property of a man named Mr. Nicholas Singleton. Mr. Singleton planned to move to New Orleans and wanted to take young William with him. William's mother did not want him to go so far south. She convinced Mr. Singleton to sell William to Edward Hamilton. William described Mr. Hamilton as a "quiet, peaceable" person who minded his own business. William was about 8 years old when he went to live with Mr. Hamilton.

A New Home

Years later, Mr. Hamilton's daughter, Henrietta, got married. William became part of her dowry, which meant he was given to her husband, Dr. Solomon Jenkings. William found Dr. Jenkings to be a very unkind man, especially compared to Mr. Hamilton.

William often stood up to the doctor. He was safe from punishment because Henrietta liked him a lot. She would scold her husband if he tried to hurt William. William sometimes ignored the doctor's orders. He would sneak out at night to watch "Husking Matches" (events where people would husk corn). He also showed up late for work. On one occasion, William even defended himself physically when the doctor tried to harm him with a whip.

Sadly, Henrietta soon died. Without her protection, William was no longer safe from the doctor's anger.

The Escape

One day, the doctor told William to get a box from the local jail using a wheelbarrow. William knew the doctor was planning something bad. Instead of going to the jail, William went to a friend. His friend hid him for a few days while William planned his escape.

William and two other enslaved people decided to escape to Philadelphia. They planned to travel across the countryside and then catch a boat on the Delaware River. From Philadelphia, they would take another boat to New York to find freedom.

The night they left, they paddled across a small river. They started heading north to find a friend known as "Aunt Sarah." She was supposed to help them get on a boat. When they arrived, Aunt Sarah was not there. They needed to catch the boat that day, or they would have to wait about a month for it to return.

To their disappointment, William and his friends missed the boat. But they were told they could still catch it if they ran another five miles up the river. They managed to catch up to the boat, and the captain let them on. It took two days to reach Philadelphia. Then, they spent another two days on a different boat going to New York. Once they arrived in New York, Dr. Osgood helped them find a safe place to stay and work.

Later Life

About thirteen years after his escape, William Green was working steadily and was married. His book doesn't say who he married or what job he had. However, he did say he was doing well and had been "blessed with four fine children." For many years, people didn't know what happened to William and his family.

Later research found new information. The 1860 U.S. Census shows William's family living in Utica, New York, but with a new last name: Adams. This was likely done to avoid being found by slave catchers.

The 1860 census listed the family like this:

• William Adams, 45, a Black man, worked as a whitewasher, born in Maryland.
• Parthenia Adams, 40, a Black woman, born in Connecticut.
• Mary Adams, 15, a Black girl, born in Massachusetts.
• Anne Adams, 13, a Black girl, born in Massachusetts.
• Martha Adams, 11, a Black girl, born in Massachusetts.
• Bennett Adams, 2, a Black boy, born in Massachusetts.

In 1870, the family was listed in Brooklyn, New York. William was 56 and Parthenia was 50. Their daughter Martha, 21, was still living with them. William was still working as a whitewasher. Their daughter Ann and her husband, Assu Foster (who was from China), also lived with them. Ann and Assu had a one-year-old son named Arthur.

Five years later, William, Parthenia, and Martha Adams were still in Brooklyn. William was working as a "plasterer." In the 1880 U.S. Census, the three of them were living at 589 Baltic Street in Brooklyn. William was working at "cleaning & repairing furniture."

William died as "William Adams" in Brooklyn, New York, on December 5, 1895. Parthenia Adams died in Brooklyn on November 5, 1882. More research is still being done to find out what happened to their children.