How Biddy Mason Won Her Freedom and Became A Real Estate Tycoon

Biddy Mason, born into slavery and uneducated her whole life, was a wise woman who recognized her rights. Mason filed a petition for her release after the man who enslaved her forced her to trek 1,700 miles behind a wagon train while carrying her child.

Mason was able to bring the perpetrator to justice and free 13 of her relatives with the help of a ragtag posse that included a Black rancher and an L.A. County sheriff.

Life In Slavery

Bridget "Biddy" Mason was born into slavery in Georgia on August 15, 1818, and  was bought and sold all over the American south. She worked in the fields and resided in Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina.

She was purchased in Mississippi by a Mormon named Robert Marion Smith. Mason gave birth to three daughters while tending to his cattle and his wife on his farm, becoming an accomplished nurse and midwife in the process.

Eventually, in 1847, Smith compelled everyone he owned to walk from Mississippi to Utah, where there was a flourishing Mormon population. Mason was forced to walk the entire 1,700-mile trip behind Smith's caravan with her children, one of whom was a baby at the time.

Mason cooked all of the meals, set up camp for their 300-wagon caravan, and served as the midwife on the voyage.

Smith eventually resided in the Salt Lake Valley for a brief time before opting to take his slaves across the desert to San Bernardino, California.

Yet Smith had forgotten one thing: California was a free state. Mormon leader Brigham Young had even cautioned him not to bring his slaves there.

His blatant misstep provided Biddy Mason with an opportunity to win her freedom.

A Rancher Helps Her Gain Her Freedom

As part of the so-called Compromise of 1850, the United States admitted California as a state, but on one condition: it had to be a blank slate. It did so to keep the Union balanced between free and enslaved states.

As a result, when Robert Smith transported his slaves into California in 1851, he violated state and federal law. Mason would have never known if she hadn't encountered Charles and Elizabeth Rowan, two free African Americans, on her way to California.

Mason learned of California's slavery ban through the Rowans, and while in San Bernardino, Mason discovered a network of free Black Californians who promised to help her fight for freedom.

But it took Mason years to get away from Smith. Before she could even file a petition with the courts, Smith decided to leave California in order to keep his slaves and set out for Texas with a wagon train.

But he was interrupted by another of Mason's fateful acquaintances: a Black rancher named Robert Owens. He notified the Los Angeles County Sheriff, who assembled a posse and pursued Smith's wagon caravan. Smith was apprehended by the group at Cajon Pass, just as he was about to flee the state.

The Biddy Mason Freedom Hearing

Biddy Mason petitioned the Los Angeles District Court on January 19, 1856. She demanded not only her liberation, but also that of 13 members of her family.

It was a difficult case. Black people could not testify against white persons under California law. However, Judge Benjamin Hayes agreed to hear the case.

Robert Smith, on the other hand, did all in his power to prevent Mason from winning her case. He even bribed Mason's lawyer to drop her case. Yet when the court found out about the bribing, Smith fled California.

However, Judge Hayes ruled in favor of Biddy Mason, granted her and her 13 relatives freedom. Everyone, he believes, "should be left to their own pursuit of freedom and pleasure."

Biddy Mason was 38 years old at the time, and she had no last name, as was usual among enslaved persons at the time. As a result, she selected the surname "Mason" in honor of the then-mayor of San Bernardino.

Mason and her family moved to Los Angeles, which was then a little settlement of 2,000 people, after gaining her freedom.

Mason's eldest daughter married Robert Owens' son, who assisted them all in escaping slavery.

The Wealthiest Black Family in Los Angeles

Biddy Mason had a significant influence on Los Angeles as a free woman. Despite starting out illiterate and poor there, Mason quickly amassed a vast commercial empire.

Mason became a full-time nurse and midwife along with Dr. John Strother Griffin, also known as the "Father of East Los Angeles." She reportedly always carried her emancipation papers in her medicine bag with pride.

Moreover, Pio Pico, the final Mexican governor of California, and Mason grew close. Mason's investments quickly yielded a profit, and Pico pushed her to purchase real estate once she had enough money. She kept purchasing homes in the center of Downtown Los Angeles, quickly accumulating a fortune.

Robert Curry Owens, Mason's grandson, later rose to prominence as a Black community leader and member of the L.A. County Executive Committee. He also made history by being the first Black man to go to the Republican State Convention in California.

The legacy and historical contribution of Biddy Mason are still honored by her children, grandchildren, and other descendants. In Biddy Mason Memorial Park in the heart of Los Angeles, her image is still visible today.