This Week in Social Studies: Henry's Freedom Box

How old are you? Think about it for a minute! Imagine that number in your head, and imagine all the years you've spent learning about yourself. Where are you from? Who are your parents? How many siblings do you have? Where were you born? Do you know the day and year?

Now take a moment to think about what it would be like if you had no idea when you were born. What if you didn't know when your birthday way? What if you didn't know your family? What if you never knew that you had siblings, or if you never knew your parents?

That was the reality of slavery during the time it was legal in the United States.

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine and Kadie Nelson is the story of a young boy who never knew his birthday. Henry Brown never knew how old he was! Born into slavery in the 19th century, He spends his early life on his master's property working with his family. As he grows, he dreams of freedom, and he and his mother have conversations about what it means to be a slave.

He hopes that one day he can break free of his chains. But his whole life changes when his family is taken from him and he is forced to work in a warehouse. As he grows up and the dreams he had for his life fall apart, he makes a decision to find freedom in a seemingly impossible way.

Henry Brown mails himself to freedom, and he finally gets a birthday.

This picture book is based on the true story of Henry Brown, who was was a 19th-century Virginia slave who escaped to freedom at the age of 33 by arranging to have himself mailed in a wooden crate in 1849 to abolitionists in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The story takes a look at the harsh reality of the lives of slaves in the 1800s and at the tragedies they experienced in the separation of their self from aspects of their identity and families. 

While the story is a sad one, and may at first appear intense for younger audiences, it provides an exceptional foundation for discussions with youth about the dark history of the United States of America. This is important especially in social studies and history classes because it helps to develop a contextual framework for current sociopolitical issues that still create difficulties for the functioning of minorities in today's society.

 

It is also important for students to have a well-rounded and full understanding of the country's history. This book remains age-appropriate for younger readers and audiences while still drawing attention to the fact that much of our country's success was created on the backs of slaves who did not have a choice in their life paths. In fact, they did not even have an open choice in understanding who they were. 

This very simple line to the left, "Henry Brown wasn't sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren't allowed to know their birthdays." immediately initiates the story with a relatable, empathetic beginning for young children. It will have students wondering, "How can someone not know their own birthday?" and it will help them to understand the relevance of the freedom and privilege they have today in knowing who they are and where they are from.