Jane Johnson (c. 1813-1872)
Encyclopedia
Jane Johnson was an American-born slave
whose escape to freedom was the focus of acrimonious and precedent-setting legal cases in 19th century Pennsylvania
.
Little is known of her early life, but she is believed to have been born into slavery under the name Jane Williams in or near Washington, D.C.
In 1855, Johnson and her sons Daniel and Isaiah (one 5 or 6, the other 11 or 12), were traveling with their master, John Hill Wheeler (1806-1882) on a trip from Washington, D.C. to Nicaragua
, where he had been appointed as a U.S. ambassador
. On July 18, 1855, Johnson passed word to a black porter in Wheeler's Philadelphia
hotel that she would like to escape her master's custody. Shortly after, abolitionist Passmore Williamson
and a group of freemen
escorted them to a safe location. This act became one of the first challenges to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
. Williamson was arrested and, when he refused to divulge Johnson's whereabouts, was convicted of contempt of court
by Pennsylvania District Court judge John K. Kane
. Kane rejected an affidavit from Jane Johnson affirming that there had been no abduction as immaterial. Williamson was held in jail between July 27 and November 3, 1855.
Johnson, carefully safeguarded by northern abolitionists including Lucretia Mott
, was able to testify at the trial of Passmore Williamson. She continued to live as a free woman, ultimately settling in Boston, Massachusetts. Johnson married Lawrence Woodford shortly after her arrival, but was widowed in 1861. She was remarried to William Harris in 1864. Johnson sheltered fugitives slaves in Boston on at least two occasions. Her son Isaiah served in the American Civil War
with the 55th Massachusetts Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. Johnson died in 1872 and was buried in Everett, MA - north of Boston.
of Harvard University
recovered a historic manuscript entitled The Bondwoman's Narrative, a novel written by a former slave written by a woman using the name Hannah Crafts. In 2002, as editor, Gates published the work with research dealing with historic accuracy, setting and characters. While the format and some descriptions may be derived from material published during the period, he asserts that the novel is an authentic look at the circumstances of chattel slavery from a slave's perspective. Later, Genealogist Katherine Flynn located Jane Johnson in the 1860 census and found that Johnson is listed as literate. Given the similarities between Johnson's life story and the location and surnames used in the book, Flynn presents Johnson as a possible candidate for the author of this book.
, which tells the story of her escape in Philadelphia and subsequent appearance at the Williamson trial.
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
whose escape to freedom was the focus of acrimonious and precedent-setting legal cases in 19th century Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Little is known of her early life, but she is believed to have been born into slavery under the name Jane Williams in or near Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1855, Johnson and her sons Daniel and Isaiah (one 5 or 6, the other 11 or 12), were traveling with their master, John Hill Wheeler (1806-1882) on a trip from Washington, D.C. to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, where he had been appointed as a U.S. ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
. On July 18, 1855, Johnson passed word to a black porter in Wheeler's Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
hotel that she would like to escape her master's custody. Shortly after, abolitionist Passmore Williamson
Passmore Williamson
Passmore Williamson was an abolitionist in Pennsylvania who is best known for a legal episode challenging the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850....
and a group of freemen
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
escorted them to a safe location. This act became one of the first challenges to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise and heightened...
. Williamson was arrested and, when he refused to divulge Johnson's whereabouts, was convicted of contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
by Pennsylvania District Court judge John K. Kane
John K. Kane
John Kintzing Kane was an American politician, attorney and jurist. Kane was noted for his political affiliation with President Andrew Jackson and for an 1855 pro-slavery legal decision dealing with the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.Kane was born in Albany, New York, the son of Elisha Kane and Alida...
. Kane rejected an affidavit from Jane Johnson affirming that there had been no abduction as immaterial. Williamson was held in jail between July 27 and November 3, 1855.
Johnson, carefully safeguarded by northern abolitionists including Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Coffin Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, social reformer, and proponent of women's rights.- Early life and education:...
, was able to testify at the trial of Passmore Williamson. She continued to live as a free woman, ultimately settling in Boston, Massachusetts. Johnson married Lawrence Woodford shortly after her arrival, but was widowed in 1861. She was remarried to William Harris in 1864. Johnson sheltered fugitives slaves in Boston on at least two occasions. Her son Isaiah served in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
with the 55th Massachusetts Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. Johnson died in 1872 and was buried in Everett, MA - north of Boston.
Fictionalized account
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
recovered a historic manuscript entitled The Bondwoman's Narrative, a novel written by a former slave written by a woman using the name Hannah Crafts. In 2002, as editor, Gates published the work with research dealing with historic accuracy, setting and characters. While the format and some descriptions may be derived from material published during the period, he asserts that the novel is an authentic look at the circumstances of chattel slavery from a slave's perspective. Later, Genealogist Katherine Flynn located Jane Johnson in the 1860 census and found that Johnson is listed as literate. Given the similarities between Johnson's life story and the location and surnames used in the book, Flynn presents Johnson as a possible candidate for the author of this book.
Musicalized account
Jane Johnson is also the main character in the musical, Stand by the RiverStand by the River
Stand by the River is a musical written by Joanne and Mark Sutton-Smith based on the true story of William Still, an African-American Abolitionist, and Jane Johnson, a slave he risked his life to rescue.- Production history:...
, which tells the story of her escape in Philadelphia and subsequent appearance at the Williamson trial.
External links
- Kirkpatrick, David D. "On Long-Lost Pages, a Female Slave's Voice." New York Times, A1 & A26, November 11, 2001.