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Slavery narratives

Henry Box Brown versus Henry Bibb

Introduction

Henry Bibb was a citizen of Kentucky, Shelby County from 1815 to 1854. He was born

by a politician as his father was the senator. He was Senator James Bibb. On the other hand, his

mother was a slave going by the name of Mildred Jackson. She worked for a company called

Willard Gate wood (Bibb, 1). According to history, Henry Bibb was married to two wives at

different times. The first wife he married while he was still a slave. The name of the wife was

Malinda. After escaping from slavery, was able to marry again a woman by the name Mary

Miles. Henry Bibb began lecturing on slavery in 1842 (Bibb, 1). It’s through his works where he

was recognized as a well known African activist. His first autobiography was published in 1849,

“Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave”. Moreover, he was

the first person to help create Canada’s first black newspaper referred to as the Voice of Fugitive.

The publication aimed at convincing African slaves to settle in Canada. Henry Bibb was the

founder of the Canadian black colonization project. It was well known as the Refugee Home

Society. He later died in the year 1854.

Henry Box Brown was born in 1816 in Virginia, Louisa County. He spends 33 years as a

slave before escaping (BROWN, 124). He used a three-by-two-foot box to escape to

Philadelphia. His slaveholders did not apply physical abuse to the slaves. The first slaveholder
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was a former Richmond mayor called John Barret. It was during his death when Henry Box

Brown was enslaved by William Barret (BROWN, 124). Henry Box Brown was treated well by

the son of the deceased slaveholder where he enjoyed many benefits like being fed, given

spending money and clothing which was not the case the surrounding environment or

plantations.

Similarities and differences

Henry Bibb

However, Henry narrates everything by recalling how he was raised by a slave mother

Mildred Jackson. He never knew his father was James Bibb the senator but many used to tell him

that he was a son of a white man David white was the slavery owner of Henry Bibb and the rest

of his family as they were legal property (Bibb, 1). They also lived with a little girl the same age

to Henry of a widower. In most cases, Henry was the one used as a laborer to the neighboring

farms to get money that could be used to pay school fees for the girl.

Bibb was also sold as a slave to a woman and man who treated him badly in Newcastle,

Kentucky (Bibb, 1). He went by the name Mr. Vires. There was cruelty in the household that

triggered him to find ways to escape. He was beaten thoroughly once tried to escape or run but

never gave up. They eventually returned him to Mr. White after they were tired of his escapes. It

is at the age of 18 when Henry Bibb was introduced to his future wife, Malida (Bibb, 1). The

slaveholder could mistreat both Henry Bibb and wife. Henry Bibb got disturbed. Henry Bibb

escaped to Canada where he worked for sometime and come back to rescue his family. He

attempted several times to rescue his wife and daughter but ended up in worse situations of

slavery. He still managed to escape from different slaveholders.

Henry Box Brown

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Henry Box Brown was born in 1816 in Virginia, Louisa County. He spends 33 years as a

slave before escaping. He used a three-by-two-foot box to escape to Philadelphia. His

slaveholders did not apply physical abuse to the slaves. The first slaveholder was a former

Richmond mayor called John Barrett. It was during his death when Henry Box Brown was

enslaved by William Barret (BROWN, 124). Henry Box Brown was treated well by the son of

the deceased slaveholder where he enjoyed many benefits like being fed, given spending money

and clothing which was not the case the surrounding environment or plantations. Despite the fact

that he was treated well he also suffered much heartache and many trails as a slave. The horrors

of slavery according to Henry Box Brown were not limited to physical abuse alone (BROWN,

124). His wife and children were sold that made him have a mental and heart torture being

separated from his family. The act made him escape assisted by his friends. He provided

antislavery lectures in New England and showcased "Henry Box Brown's Mirror of Slavery" a

moving panorama. Brown continued to lecture in England where he married his new wife Annie.

Henry Brown could also perform as a magician. Lastly, his location and date of death are not

known.

Argument

However, it is important to note that Henry Box Brown was treated well by the son of the

deceased slaveholder where he enjoyed many benefits like being fed, given spending money and

clothing which was not the case the surrounding environment or plantations. On the other hand,

Henry Bibb found a lot of cruelty in the household that triggered him to find ways to escape. He

was beaten thoroughly once tried to escape or run but never gave up. Henry Bibb was humane as

he could try to save his family from slavery several times risking his life, unlike Henry Box who

escaped but did not even come back for rescue purposes. I can argue that the two were different
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people with more differences than similarities depending on how they faced slavery.
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Works cited

Bibb, Henry. Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb: An American Slave. Courier

Corporation, 2013.

BROWN, HENRY BOX. "Written from a Statement of Facts Made by Himself. With Remarks

Upon the Remedy for Slavery by Charles Stearns. Boston." Understanding 19th-Century

Slave Narratives (2016): 124.