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Where did Biddy Mason live?
Mason was born in Mississippi in 1818. She was given the name Bridget without a surname, and was later nicknamed Biddy. She was owned by slaveholders in Georgia and South Carolina before being returned to Mississippi. Robert Marion Smith, her last owner, was a Mississippi Mormon convert.
Where did Biddy Mason live in Los Angeles?
As a free woman, Mason settled in Los Angeles with her children and found work as a nurse and midwife. In 1866, she purchased a nearly one-acre site between present-day Broadway (then Fort Street) and Spring Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets. On this, the present location of the park, she built her homestead.
Who was the father of Biddy Mason's children?
The fathers of her children are unknown, but some authors have speculated that Robert M. Smith likely fathered at least one of her children. A 25-year-old slave named Hannah worked with Biddy on the plantation; like Biddy, Hannah had three of her own children.
What did Biddy Mason do in the medical field?
After becoming free, Biddy worked in Los Angeles as a nurse and midwife, delivering hundreds of babies during her career. Her knowledge of herbal remedies put her on the frontline during the smallpox epidemic and made her a hero in Los Angeles.
How did Biddy Mason become wealthy?
She built a wood-frame house that became a community hub and the meeting place of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. She continued buying property and made shrewd deals, even though she never learned to read or write and signed her name with an elaborate X.
What did Robert Smith try to do to Biddy Mason and her family?
He told Biddy and the others (thirteen slaves now), that they would be free once they arrived in Texas. In truth, Robert Smith had planned to sell all his slaves once they arrived in Texas for much-needed money, as Robert Smith was now broke. Biddy had to move fast if she wanted to gain freedom.
Where is Biddy Mason buried?
Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, CABiddy Mason / Place of burialEvergreen Memorial Park & Crematory is a cemetery in the East Side neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California. Evergreen has several prominent individuals of historical Southern California on its grounds. Wikipedia
How old was Biddy Mason when she died?
72 years (1818–1891)Biddy Mason / Age at death
Did Biddy Mason go to school?
In 1818, on a plantation in Mississippi, Bridget 'Biddy' Mason was born. The plantation where she was born was owned by Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca Crosby Smith. Biddy was not educated formally but did learn the skills of a midwife from other slaves.
Did Biddy Mason have children?
Robynn: Biddy Mason was born into slavery on Aug. 15, 1818. She walked from Mississippi to Utah, then to Southern California, herding animals and tending to the needs of her slave master, all while caring for her three small children, Ellen, Anne and Harriet.
Where is Biddy Mason buried?
Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, CABiddy Mason / Place of burialEvergreen Memorial Park & Crematory is a cemetery in the East Side neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California. Evergreen has several prominent individuals of historical Southern California on its grounds. Wikipedia
Did Biddy Mason have children?
Robynn: Biddy Mason was born into slavery on Aug. 15, 1818. She walked from Mississippi to Utah, then to Southern California, herding animals and tending to the needs of her slave master, all while caring for her three small children, Ellen, Anne and Harriet.
How old was Biddy Mason when she died?
72 years (1818–1891)Biddy Mason / Age at death
Who was Biddy Mason?
Mason was born in Mississippi in 1818. She was given the name Bridget without a surname, and was later nicknamed Biddy. She was owned by slaveholders in Georgia and South Carolina before being returned to Mississippi. Robert Marion Smith, her last owner, was a Mississippi Mormon convert. He decided to follow the call of the church and moved his family and enslaved persons to the West. There he would help establish a Mormon community in what would become Salt Lake City, Utah. At this time Utah was still a part of Mexico.
Who was born in Mississippi in 1818?
Born enslaved, Mason became one of the first prominent citizens and landowners in Los Angeles in the 1850s and 1860s. She also founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles in 1872. Mason was born in Mississippi in 1818. She was given the name Bridget without a surname, and was later nicknamed Biddy.
Who brought Mason to the Mormon community?
Ignoring Brigham Young’s warning that slavery was illegal in California, Smith brought Mason and other enslaved people to the new Mormon community. Along the way, Mason met Charles H. and Elizabeth Flake Rowan, a free black couple.
Who was Biddy Mason?
Biddy Mason. Biddy Mason (1818-1891) was a southern slave who become free after she moved with her masters to California. She built a career in Los Angeles as a nurse and a midwife, bought a piece of property, and used her business skills to become one of the wealthiest black women in the United States after the Civil War, ...
Where was Bridget Mason born?
Bridget Mason, known to everyone as "Biddy," was born into slavery on August 15, 1818. Her place of birth was probably Hancock County, Georgia , though some historians cite it as Mississippi. She was of mixed African American and Native American descent, but the names of her parents are unknown. As a slave child, she was separated from her parents and sold several times, working on plantations in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. She spent much of her childhood working on John Smithson's plantation in South Carolina, where she assisted the house servants and midwives. In 1836 Smithson gave the 18-year-old Mason, two other female house servants, and a blacksmith to his cousins, Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca (Crosby) Smith, as a wedding present.
Who was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church?
In 1872, she and her son-in-law, Charles Owen, formed the Los Angeles branch of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. According to Dolores Hayden's article in California History, Mason's great-granddaughter Gladys Owens Smith quoted Mason as saying, "If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in.
When was the first African American mayor of Los Angeles?
A tombstone was laid at the site nearly one hundred years later on March 27, 1988, by Mayor Tom Bradley, the first African American mayor of Los Angeles, and several thousand members of the First African Methodist Episcopal church. A year later, November 16, 1989, was declared "Biddy Mason Day" in Los Angeles.
Who was Bridget Biddy Mason?
Bridget “Biddy” Mason, born a slave in Mississippi in 1818, achieved financial success that enabled her to support her extended family for generations despite the fact that she was illiterate.
Who brought Mason to California?
Ignoring Brigham Young’s warning that slavery was illegal in California, Smith brought Mason and other enslaved people to the new community. Along the trek Mason met Charles H. and Elizabeth Flake Rowan, free blacks, who urged her to legally contest her slave status once she reached California, a free state.
Where was Utah in 1848?
In 1848 30-year-old Mason walked 1,700 miles behind a 300-wagon caravan that eventually arrived in the Holladay-Cottonwood area of the Salt Lake Valley.
What was Biddy Mason's role in the Westward Expansion?
A hidden gem in the period of westward expansion in United States history, Biddy Mason was a great example to all of society. Born a slave, she faced adversity at every turn, but became a free woman. With little help, she became a successful business woman, mother, and example to all. Her willingness to give to the needy is virtually unparalleled.
Who was Biddy's daughter?
After arriving in California, Biddy's daughter, Ellen, dated a free black man who was well aware of the rights of African Americans. The son of a successful businessman, Charles Owens assisted Biddy when she petitioned for her freedom to a California court. Earlier, Owens' father had notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff that Smith was keeping slaves illegally. Smith attempted to escape to Texas. The sheriff formed a posse, including Charles Owens, and captured Smith. In 1856, Biddy, along with her daughters, were granted their freedom.
What did Biddy do on the journey?
The cattle they brought with them were herded by Biddy. When not herding cattle, she was to fix meals, perform any nursing necessary, and act as a midwife when needed. On top of all that, Biddy had three children - all daughters - that she provided for.
How much did Biddy buy her house for?
In a short amount of time, Biddy was financially secure. By 1866, she was able to purchase her own house on a large lot for $250. She was one of just a few women who owned land in Los Angeles. Eighteen years later, she sold off part of her land for $1,500. With her profits, she had a commercial building built, which she also managed. She continued to invest in real estate and earned a fortune for that period.
Where did Brigham Young start his Mormon community?
Brigham Young had started another Mormon community in San Bernardino, California in 1851. Smith decided to move from Utah and join a caravan of 150 wagons. What Smith probably had not realized is California had become a state in 1850, and it was a free state. Possibly, he may have learned that most slave holders in California usually were left alone and not challenged for breaking the law. Regardless, all members of the Smith entourage moved.
Who was Biddy Mason?
Biddy Mason was a southern slave who become free after she moved with her masters to California. She built a career in Los Angeles as a nurse and a midwife, bought a piece of property, and used her business skills to become one of the wealthiest black women in the United States after the Civil War, as well as a notable philanthropist.
Where was Bridget Mason born?
Bridget Mason, known to everyone as "Biddy", was born into slavery on August 15, 1818. Her place of birth was probably Hancock County, Georgia , though some historians cite it as Mississippi. She was of mixed African American and Native American descent, but the names of her parents are unknown. As a slave child, she was separated from her parents and sold several times, working on plantations in Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. She spent much of her childhood working on John Smithson's plantation in South Carolina, where she assisted the house servants and midwives. In 1836 Smithson gave the 18-year-old Mason, two other female house servants, and a blacksmith to his cousins, Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca (Crosby) Smith, as a wedding present.
Who was Biddy Mason?
Born into slavery and illiterate all her life, Biddy Mason was nonetheless a clever woman who knew her rights. So when the man who owned her forced her to walk 1,700 miles behind a wagon train while carrying her newborn, Mason filed a petition for her freedom — and won.
Why did Biddy Mason choose the last name "Mason"?
She thus chose the last name “Mason” to honor the then-mayor of San Bernardino.
What was Biddy Mason's impact on Los Angeles?
As a free woman, Biddy Mason had a major impact on Los Angeles. Although she began illiterate and impoverished there, Mason soon built a business empire.
What did Biddy Mason's blunder give him?
His obvious blunder gave Biddy Mason a chance to win her freedom.
What did the Rowans tell Mason about?
The Rowans told Mason about California’s slavery ban, and once in San Bernardino, Mason found a community of free Black Californians who agreed to support her quest for freedom.
Where is Biddy Mason's portrait?
Her portrait hangs today in Biddy Mason Memorial Park in downtown L.A.
Who was Mason's oldest daughter married to?
Mason’s oldest daughter married the son of Robert Owens, who helped them all escape slavery.
Where did the Smiths take Biddy Mason?
Mason was forced to travel West with Robert and Rebecca Smith, slaveholders who had joined the Mormon migration to Utah. The Smiths eventually took Mason and her three children to San Bernardino in California. While California was supposedly a “free state,” Smith continued to hold them captive. Mason and her children befriended free blacks who alerted the local sheriff when the Smiths made plans to take Biddy and her daughters to Texas with them. The sheriff took Mason and her family into protective custody under a writ of habeas corpus.
Who is Grandma Mason?
She also co-founded and financed the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church, which is still going strong. Known as Grandma Mason, she died in 1891 and is honored through the Biddy Mason monument in downtown Los Angeles.
Lived as A Slave
- Bridget Mason, known to everyone as "Biddy," was born into slavery on August 15, 1818. Her place of birth was probably Hancock County, Georgia, though some historians cite it as Mississippi. She was of mixed African American and Native American descent, but the names of her parents are unknown. As a slave child, she was separated from her parents a...
Gained Freedom
- In 1849 California drafted a constitution forbidding slavery, and in September 1850 joined the Union as a free state. Slave owners who had arrived before 1850 could keep their slaves as indentured servants. Smith and his slaves arrived in 1851. Smith probably did not know that California was a free state when he made the trip. In San Bernardino, several free blacks told Ma…
Nurse, Midwife, Property Owner
- Robert Owens invited Mason and her family to live with him in Los Angeles. His son and her daughter soon married. Mason began to work as a midwife and nurse for Dr. John Strother Griffin. She quickly gained a reputation, becoming well known for her herbal remedies. Mason delivered babies for families of various races and social classes. She earned $2.50 a day, a good wage fo…
Community Impact and Legacy
- Mason devoted much of her time and energy to religious and community works. She opened her homestead to needy people, and lines of people seeking her assistance often formed on Spring Street. She also donated money and land to schools, day care centers, grocery stores, and churches, and she visited jail inmates regularly. Mason did much to help working African Americ…
Books
- Beasley, Delilah L., The Negro Trail Blazers of California,G.K.Hall and Co., 1998. Hayden, Dolores, Urban Landscapes as Public History,MIT Press, 1995. Hine, Darlene Clark, ed., Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia,Carlson Publishing, 1993. Massey, Sara R., ed., Black Cowboys of Texas,Texas A & M University Press, 2000. Pinkney, Andrea Davis, Let It Shine: Stori…
Periodicals
- California History,Fall 1989. Cobblestone,February 1999. Denver Rocky Mountain News,February 8, 1996. Los Angeles Times,March 28, 1988; November 17, 1989; July 31, 1991. New York Times,December 7, 1989.
Online
- "Angelinos of Ebony Hue," Black History Month, USC Libraries,http://www.usc.edu/isd/locations/ssh/doheny/ref/BHH/Exhibit/biddy_mason_1.html (October 27, 2001). "Bridget 'Biddy' Mason," Distinguished Women of Past and Present,http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/mason-b.html(October 27, 2001). □