With startling inventiveness, William and Ellen Craft escaped from Georgia by posing — the light-skinned Ellen dressed as a white male, and William took the part of "his" servant. The good-looking young couple's story dramatized the horrors of slavery to northern audiences. They organized and spoke for the anti-slavery cause, but also relied upon black Bostonians to defend them against repeated efforts to re-enslave them.

To hear an audio version of the Crafts’ bold escape, click on the audio icon.