Elizabeth Freeman and her Quest for Freedom

 

“Any time, any time while I was a slave, if one minute's freedom had been offered to me, and I had been told I must die at the end of that minute, I would have taken it—just to stand one minute on God's airth [sic] a free woman—I would” -attributed to Elizabeth Freeman as quoted by Catharine Maria Sedgwick

 

What does it mean to be Revolutionary?  Elizabeth Freeman, also known as Mumbet, may not have known the meaning of that word, but she embodied it.  As an enslaved woman, she sought legal counsel to test the freedom clause in the Massachusetts State Constitution. Her intellect and perseverance led to a landmark court case which granted her, and a man named Brom, their freedom.  That verdict was then used as precedent in future cases within the state.  Once freed, she lived an atypical life for a Black woman in the early 19^th century.  Her name is one we should all know, and her story is one that we should all tell.

Elizabeth Freeman had many names over the course of her life. These include:

Bett- Her name from birth until 1781. It is unknown who gave her this name.

Mumbett or Mumbet- Later in life the title of “Mum” was added to her name. This name was used as a title of affection by members of the community and the Sedgwick family.

Elizabeth Freeman-The name she chose for herself.  It primarily appears in legal documents. Because this is her chosen name, we will use this name to identify her in this blog where appropriate.

 

Born in Claverack, New York in 1744, Freeman was named Bett by her enslavers. No information is known about her mother. At the age of seven she was given, along with her sister, to her enslaver’s daughter Hannah as a gift upon her marriage to John Ashley. They then settled in Massachusetts, where Ashley was from.

Not much was known about Freeman’s life during the next few decades. Numerous records indicate that she had a daughter named “Little Bett.”  Some sources claim she had a husband, but his identity is unknown.

 She continued to be enslaved by the Ashleys. In Slavery in New England, written in 1853 by Catharine Maria Sedgwick, a story is told of a particular incident involving Freeman’s sister, Lizzie. Mrs. Ashley was said to be quite cruel and accused Lizzie of stealing some bread. Upon seeing Lizzie eating bread, she (Mrs. Ashley), “seized a large iron shovel red hot from clearing the oven and raised it over the girl. Bett interposed her brawny arm and took the blow.” Freeman’s arm was forever scarred after this. She would often reference her scarred arm as a visual representation of her enslavement.

While the exact catalyst for her quest for freedom is unknown, Catharine Sedgwick, who was raised by Freeman after her emancipation, claimed that it was hearing a reading of the Declaration of Independence that led Elizabeth to question her own rights.  Other sources claim it was talk of the newly ratified Massachusetts State Constitution that led her to seek freedom. What is known is that in 1781, she approached Theodore Sedgwick to help her sue her enslaver.

Theodore Sedgwick was a relatively young lawyer who favored abolition. However, prior to Elizabeth’s he had never tried an abolition case.  After several days of deliberation, he decided to take on her case. To strengthen the lawsuit, Sedgewick thought it best to add a man to the case, since women had such limited legal rights. He was able to recruit another one of Ashley’s slaves, a man named Brom, to join the lawsuit. Brom and Bett v. Ashley was a landmark test case in the state of Massachusetts.  It would force a jury to decide what the constitutional phrase, "all men are born free and equal” really meant.

The trial was heard in August 1781 by the County Court of Common Pleas in Great Barrington. Sedgwick and his team argued that the new state constitution abolished slavery in Massachusetts. Ashley in turn argued that there had been a misunderstanding and that Bett and Brom were paid servants, not enslaved people. The jury did not believe him. They found that Brom and Bett were never legally owned by John Ashley, and that they were free people, not enslaved, at the time the lawsuit began. Ashley was ordered to pay them each 30 shillings in damages.  He appealed the case but dropped it after several months.

The enslaved woman known as Bett, now had her freedom. Having free will, she changed her name to
Elizabeth Freeman and was hired to work for Theodore Sedgwick and his family. She moved with her daughter and few belongings to the Sedgwick home in Stockbridge. Once there she spent over 20 years working for the Sedgewick family, serving primarily as a governess to the seven children.  It was the Sedgwick children who gave her the name “Mumbet” (short for “Mother Beth”) which she became known as in and around Stockbridge. She was a highly sought after healer, nurse, and midwife.

After working for Sedgwick for 22 years, Freeman bought her own home in 1803. She created a multigenerational compound, living there with her daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The property would expand to become a 19-acre farm. Freeman eventually became the second wealthiest black landowner in the area.

While none of Elizabeth Freeman’s own words survive, we do know what she looked like. In 1812,

Susan Anne Ridley Sedgwick painted a miniature on ivory depicting Freeman at approximately 70 years old.  Susan was the wife of Theodore Sedgwick Jr., one of the children Elizabeth had cared for.  Susan was also the niece of John and Sarah Jay. She was the daughter of Sarah’s sister Catherine Livingston and Matthew Ridley.

 Freeman is seen wearing a small gold necklace in the portrait.  That necklace was later turned into a bracelet that was worn by Catharine Maria Sedgwick after Freeman’s death. Both the miniature and the bracelet are in the collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Elizabeth Freeman died in 1829 and was thought to be 85 years old. She was buried in the Sedgwick family plot and remains the only non-Sedgwick of the 139 people, over six generations who are buried there. Her headstone reads:

“ELIZABETH FREEMAN, also known by the name of MUMBET died Dec. 28th, 1829. Her supposed age was 85 Years. She was born a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years; She could neither read nor write, yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal. She neither wasted time nor property. She never violated a trust, nor failed to perform a duty. In every situation of domestic trial, she was the most efficient helper and the tenderest friend. Good mother, farewell.” 

In the last five years genealogists have identified living descendants of Freeman. Their work is ongoing.

What makes Elizabeth Freeman revolutionary goes beyond her landmark legal case.  At no point in her life did she allow societal limitations to stop her from doing what was right. With each new chapter, she prospered, eventually becoming one of the wealthiest Black landowners in the Berkshires.  Elizabeth Freeman’s strength, intelligence and resilience show us what it truly means to advocate for oneself in the face of injustice and adversity.