On Aug. 15 , 1818 , a baby girl named Bridget wasborn into slaveryin Georgia . She was sell as an infant to new masters who call her Biddy . When Biddy twist 18 , she was present as a wedding party endowment to Robert Marion Smith and his married woman Rebecca in Mississippi . This was the life of anenslaved Black womanin the Deep South . She was property to be bribe , sold , punished and even violate if the overlord so proud of .
But Biddy ’s story is dissimilar . It ’s the story of a solid and humble woman who survive marvellous hardships before bravely fighting for her family ’s exemption and winning . Biddy ’s story take us from the muggy cotton field of Mississippi to the frontier boomtown of Los Angeles , where Biddy becomes one of the urban center ’s most sought - after midwives and parlays her earnings into a small real - demesne imperium .
But before we arrive at that happy ending , there are decennary of degradation to suffer and thousands of miles of country to cross . In Mississippi , Biddy lived the distinctive life of an enslaved woman . She was expected to dig in the cotton wool fields , but also assist in the family , primarily as a midwife during the births of Rebecca Smith ’s six children . Biddy likely instruct the duty of a midwife — which included the use of medicinal herbs and introductory breast feeding acquisition — from fellow enslaved hoi polloi steeped in traditional knowledge .
Robert Smith was an other convert to the fledglingMormonfaith and in 1847 decide to relocate his menage , as well as his enslaved masses , to the Utah Territory . By this time , Biddy had three daughters of her own . While the Smith fellowship traveled in wagons and on horseback , Biddy walked behind , tend the livestock . For seven calendar month , she trek 1,600 miles ( 2,754 kilometers ) from Mississippi to Utah with her 10 - year - old daughter , 4 - year - old daughter and an babe on her breast .
The Smiths stayed only a few forgetful years in Salt Lake City before arrange out for San Bernardino , California , in 1851 where the Mormon Christian church was build a missionary frontier settlement . California was the newest country in the Union , admitted in 1850 as a loose state . The California Constitution was rarefied in itspowerful denunciation of thraldom , promising , " Neither thrall nor involuntary servitude unless for the penalization of crimes shall ever be tolerated in this state . " During her time there , Biddy befriend other free Blacks who told her about this law , although she seems to have been unsure as to whether it apply to her as she continued to suffice the Smith family .
Enter the Cavalry
Nervous that the authorities would seek to take away his dimension , Smith move his family and enslaved citizenry to an encampment in the Santa Monica Mountains and planned an dodging to slavery - friendly Texas .
But a cavalry take by Robert Owens , a Blackvaquerowho own several stablesin Los Angeles , tracked Smith down and the local sheriff presented a writ ofhabeas corpusdemanding that Biddy and her fellow enslave mass be released . Smith fought the decree and the case finish up in front of Judge Benjamin Hayes of the First District Court in Los Angeles .
Even with California ’s strong anti - slavery stance , the law was very much in favor of whites over Blacks and other people of color . In fact , it was illegal for a person of colour to bear witness against a ashen person in court . And Smith had bribe Biddy ’s attorney not to appear in royal court . Despite these unfavorable conditions , Judge Hayes took a particular pastime in Biddy ’s instance and run into in individual with Biddy and the other people Smith owned to hear their side of the news report .
Rather than accepting Smith ’s claim that the enslaved charwoman and children were " extremity of his kin " who depart Mississippi on their own consent , Judge Hayes chose to believe Biddy , who confessed that she was terribly afraid to be read to Texas . In a watershed decisionheralded in California newspapers , Judge Hayes write that " all of the said persons of colouring material are entitled to their freedom and are free eternally . "
Historian Dolores Haydenwritesthat Biddy ’s decision to stand up to Smith was an number of unsounded bravery .
Building Wealth, Helping Others
One of the first things Biddy did as a devoid woman was to choose a last name for herself . For the rest of her liveliness , she was known as Biddy Mason . She and her daughters survive alongside the Owens family , who continued to be terrific supports and close champion . Indeed , one of her girl get married Robert Owens ' Word . With the press coverage from the court case , Mason caught the care of Dr. John Strother Griffin , a prominent white physician who offered her work as a midwife . Mason also acted as a nurse to inmates in the county jail .
With her tenner of experience , she soon became one of the most in - requirement midwives in Los Angeles , catering to the want of both wealthy resident and impoverished new arrivals . After saving for 10 years , she conform to the examples of Owens and Griffin , both real estate investor , and corrupt a piece of soil on the outskirts of Ithiel Town among the vineyards and orangish grove .
Her homestead on Spring Street would become a recourse , not only for her maturate family , but for all Los Angelenos in indigence of a helping hand . As she lento amassed more riches with investment properties , Mason freely gave to community members in need . In 1872 , theFirst African Methodist Episcopal Churchwas organized in her support room and she put up the fundsto give the ministerand give the church service ’s property taxis . ( The church service now has some 19,000 member . ) In 1884 , after flash implosion therapy destroyed homes across Los Angeles , Mason opened a tab key at the Spring Street market store and instruct the possessor to bring home the bacon free food for thought to anyone who needed it , mordant or white .
As she develop older , she became lovingly known as " Aunt Biddy " or " Grandma Mason " throughout Los Angeles . By the metre of her dying in 1891 at age 73 , she had compile afortune of $ 300,000(more than $ 9 million in 2023 dollar ) , which , as we saw before , she generously used to help others .
" If you take hold your deal close , nothing good can come in , " Biddy Mason excellently articulate . " The unresolved hand is sanctify , for it gives in copiousness even as it receives . "
