William Green

William Green (c. 1814 – 1895) was an African-American slave in the United States, who escaped from slavery and later wrote a narrative of his life as a slave. His narrative was published in 1853. Childhood Green was born in Oxford Neck (near Oxford), Maryland. He was born three months before his mother was freed and so was a slave by birth. At the death of his mother's old mistress, he became the property of Mr. Nicholas Singleton. Mr. Singleton was planning to go to New Orleans and was going to take the young Green with him. Green's mother did not want him to go that far south, so she managed to convince Mr. Singleton to sell Green to Edward Hamilton, a man who Green described in his narrative as: "... one of those quiet, peaceable kind of people, who mind their own business, and let other people's alone." Green came into Mr. Hamilton's possession at the age of 8. A new master When Mr. Hamilton's daughter Henrietta married some years later, Green became a part of her dowry and was given to her husband, Dr. Solomon Jenkings. Green found the doctor to be a very mean-spirited man when compared to Mr. Hamilton and openly opposed him on some occasions. Green was safe from any punishment the doctor may have inflicted on him however, because Green was Henrietta's favorite slave and she would berate her husband for harming him. Green's opposition to the doctor included ignoring his commands, sneaking out at night to watch "Husking Matches", showing up late for work, and, on one occasion, savagely beating the doctor when he cracked a whip at Green. Green would not be safe forever as Henrietta soon died and he no longer had the protection that he once had. Escape One day the doctor ordered Green to retrieve a box from the local jail and to bring it back to him in a wheelbarrow. Green knew what the doctor was planning and went off on his errand. He did not go to the jail and instead went to a friend who hid him for a few days while he planned his escape. He and two other slaves decided they would make their way to Philadelphia by crossing the countryside and catching a boat along the Delaware River. From there they would catch another boat to New York and attain their freedom. The night they departed they paddled across a small river and started heading north towards a friend who could help them to the boat known only as "Aunt Sarah".