Why Christmas Was The Best Time Of Year To Escape Enslavement

ellen and william craft
Via Wikimedia Commons
Briona Lamback
December 19, 2023

Christmas cheer was in the air for most, but our people were up to something much more important. They used their holiday travel “passes” to escape right under racists’ noses.

Typically, enslaved people were given between Christmas and New Year’s Day to visit their families on other plantations. 

Many took advantage of the time, and it paid off.

The Crafts 

Ellen and William Craft secured their holiday travel “passes” well ahead of Christmas – they were plotting heavy. They dressed in disguise; Ellen cut her hair short and passed as a white enslaver while William posed as her servant. They traveled by train and steamboat to Philadelphia and successfully escaped enslavement.

Harriet Tubman 

Enslavers gave Harriett Tubman’s three brothers “passes” to have dinner with their mother. On Christmas Eve, Tubman headed to Maryland’s Eastern Shore after learning they would sell her brothers on the 26th. They never showed up to dinner because Tubman led them to freedom instead.

These courageous actions, taken under the guise of holiday merriment, not only redefined the spirit of the season but also illuminated a path of hope and liberation for many who followed. Their journeys serve as a timeless testament to the unyielding pursuit of freedom and the indomitable spirit of those who dare to dream of a life unfettered.

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