Hannah Peters (b. 1831 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-008045
Fled from slavery, Caroline County, Maryland, 1857
Biography:
Hannah Peters successfully escaped Caroline County, Maryland in the fall of 1857. She fled from the property of Charles Peters, who lived in the Marshall Hope area of the county. He had originally purchased the girl in 1834 for $75, from the estate of the deceased George Garey.1 Strangely Hannah was sold to Seth Evitts in 1842, only to be sold back to Charles Peters in 1850.2,3 Throughout all of these transactions, the records specify that she is a "slave for life". She is also always accompanied by "negro boy David", who may have been a relation. Hannah would later say that she did not know who her parents were, a situation that was not uncommon for Maryland slaves at this time.4
Charles Peters was a small farmer, and Hannah was one of only two slaves that he owned as of 1850.5 She described him as "a man who had distinguished himself by getting 'drunk, scratching and fighting,' not infrequently in his own family even." Hannah cited such physical abuse as the ultimate reason for her departure.6 She arrived in Philadelphia with the famed Cambridge party, which may have numbered up to 28 runaway slaves, predominantly from Dorchester County. It may have just been a stroke of luck that Hannah's flight coincided with the larger group, many of whom found refuge with William Still's network of accomplices in Pennsylvania. Still described her as having "a countenance that indicated that liberty was what she wanted ... and that she could not willingly submit to the yoke."7 Perhaps that strong will contributed to Charles Peters' cruel treatment.
As with many former slaves, particularly those who had such ill feeling toward their former owners, Hannah likely adopted a last name other than Peters once she established herself as a free woman. Therefore, while it is certain that Hannah was initially able to escape slavery in Maryland, there is scant information to determine what she accomplished in subsequent years.
Researched and Written by David Armenti, 2011.
Return to Hannah Peters' Introductory Page
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