In honor of the final day of Black History Month, I wish to share with you the story of a woman whose resiliency and intellect alchemized her hardships into an ever-echoing song of freedom and victory, introducing Ms. Bridgett 'Biddy' Mason.
Born into slavery in Georgia, Bridgett Biddy Mason was given the name Bridget without a surname and was later nicknamed Biddy. Her early life was shaped by unimaginable hardships. Taken from her family at a young age, she was forced into labor under brutal conditions as she was moved from Georgia to South Carolina. Biddy’s owners, Robert and Rebecca Smith, were Mississippi Mormon converts and part of the Mormon Migration to Utah, where Biddy was forced to travel with them. The Smiths eventually took Biddy and her children to San Bernardino, California. Yet, in this land of supposed freedom, Smith continued to hold Biddy and her children captive.
At the age of 30, Biddy was made to walk 1,700 miles behind a 300-wagon caravan to the Holladay-Cottonwood area of Salt Lake Valley. Along the route, Biddy was responsible for breaking camp, herding cows, cooking meals, and serving as a midwife, all while taking care of her three children—Ellen, Anne, and Harriet—ages 10, 4, and a newborn. The last two being the children of her enslaver.
Even after the law changed in 1855, Biddy’s owner, Robert Smith, continued to hold her and her children captive. Smith decided to leave California for Texas, where slavery was still legal, in an effort to avoid giving Biddy her freedom. However, Biddy and her daughters befriended local free Blacks, who alerted the sheriff about Smith’s plan to flee to Texas, taking Biddy and her daughters with him. The sheriff took Biddy and her daughters into protective custody under a writ of Habeas Corpus—a legal action that challenges the legality of imprisonment and demands immediate release from unlawful confinement.
Judge Benjamin Hayes circumvented California’s racist testimony laws (which, from 1850 to 1863, prohibited African Americans from testifying against white people in criminal cases) by interviewing Biddy in his chambers. Despite the odds, she triumphed, gaining her freedom in 1856. From that moment on, her life was defined not by the scars of her past but by the legacy of her resilience.
Biddy became a celebrated real estate entrepreneur, philanthropist and a successful nurse, running a midwifery business. She accumulated a fortune worth $7.5 million in today’s dollars, making her one of the richest women in Los Angeles. She became one of the first Black women to own land in downtown Los Angeles, establishing a homestead. She used her wealth to establish a daycare center for working parents and created an account at a store where families who lost their homes in floods could obtain supplies. She also co-founded and financed the First African American Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Los Angeles, which is still active today.
Biddy spent the rest of her life advocating for the poor, for education, and for the welfare of African Americans. In her honor, there is a Biddy Mason Monument in downtown Los Angeles. Biddy has two living great-great-great-great granddaughters who oversee her foundation today. Bridgett Biddy Mason’s legacy stands as a testament to the strength of the African spirit—her hardships never defined her; instead, they fueled her desire to help others, turning her story and legacy into a beacon of hope and a symbol of freedom.
Ms. Bridgett 'Biddy' Mason (August 15, 1818–January 15, 1891) 🕊
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