American activist Ellen Craft (c. 1826-1897) is known for her remarkable escape from slavery, narrated in Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom (1860). In a daring journey, she posed as a young male slave owner. Craft stands out as a determined and resourceful woman.

Ellen Craft was born about 1826 in Clinton, Georgia, the daughter of a slave named Maria. Her father was Major James Smith, the mother's owner. Often mistaken for a member of her father/master's family, Craft especially incurred the displeasure of her mistress. When she was eleven, Craft was removed from the household and taken to Macon, Georgia, having been made a wedding gift for a Smith daughter. In Macon, she met her future husband, William Craft, also a slave.

William and Ellen Craft are most famous for their remarkable escape from slavery, narrated in Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom (1860). In a daring journey, Ellen...