Eliza Winston
Encyclopedia
Eliza Winston was an American
slave who was emancipated
from her owners while with them on vacation in a free state.
In 1860 Winston, a thirty-year-old slave, was visiting St. Anthony, Minnesota
with her owners, Richard and Mary Christmas of Issaquena County
, Mississippi
. During that time it was typical for wealthy southern tourists to travel to cooler climates by steamboat
up the Mississippi River
during the summer months. The Christmases, their five-year-old daughter, Norma, and Winston were staying at the Winslow House when she gained her freedom with the help of Ralph and Emily Grey, who were free black citizens. According to her deposition, she and her late husband had previously purchased her freedom, but Ralph Christmas had purchased her from her previous owner, Mr. Gholson, and did not honor her emancipation. Minnesota was a free state, and Judge Charles Vandenburgh agreed to hear her case. The judge sent the sheriff to the Winslow House to take her into custody, but by then they had moved to a country house on Lake Harriet. When the sheriff arrived, the Christmas family at first hid her, but then didn't resist further when she was located. The following day, after a hearing, the judge ruled that Winston was a free woman. The Saint Anthony Weekly Express opined that the event would damage the tourism trade. That evening, a pro-slavery mob surrounded the Grey's home and demanded her return to the Christmases, but with the aid of the underground railroad
she was already on her way to Ontario
.
According to interpretations of the Dred Scott case
of 1857, she would return to slavery upon her return to a slave state. She voluntarily returned to the Christmases in Issaquena County before the Civil War broke out.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
slave who was emancipated
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
from her owners while with them on vacation in a free state.
In 1860 Winston, a thirty-year-old slave, was visiting St. Anthony, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
with her owners, Richard and Mary Christmas of Issaquena County
Issaquena County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,274 people, 726 households, and 509 families residing in the county. The population density was 5.15 people per square mile . There were 877 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. During that time it was typical for wealthy southern tourists to travel to cooler climates by steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
during the summer months. The Christmases, their five-year-old daughter, Norma, and Winston were staying at the Winslow House when she gained her freedom with the help of Ralph and Emily Grey, who were free black citizens. According to her deposition, she and her late husband had previously purchased her freedom, but Ralph Christmas had purchased her from her previous owner, Mr. Gholson, and did not honor her emancipation. Minnesota was a free state, and Judge Charles Vandenburgh agreed to hear her case. The judge sent the sheriff to the Winslow House to take her into custody, but by then they had moved to a country house on Lake Harriet. When the sheriff arrived, the Christmas family at first hid her, but then didn't resist further when she was located. The following day, after a hearing, the judge ruled that Winston was a free woman. The Saint Anthony Weekly Express opined that the event would damage the tourism trade. That evening, a pro-slavery mob surrounded the Grey's home and demanded her return to the Christmases, but with the aid of the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
she was already on her way to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
According to interpretations of the Dred Scott case
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford, , also known as the Dred Scott Decision, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S...
of 1857, she would return to slavery upon her return to a slave state. She voluntarily returned to the Christmases in Issaquena County before the Civil War broke out.