Dr. Michelle Chresfield

But she has these strong feelings of fairness and wanting to do right by him. These are feelings that she would later forget. kind of narrate. And so she sets a time. She works into the autumn of 1826. And so she spends 100 pounds of wool by hand in addition to doing much of this outside labor. And she's beginning to turn that wool into yarn that could be used for these various projects.

But she has these strong feelings of fairness and wanting to do right by him. These are feelings that she would later forget. kind of narrate. And so she sets a time. She works into the autumn of 1826. And so she spends 100 pounds of wool by hand in addition to doing much of this outside labor. And she's beginning to turn that wool into yarn that could be used for these various projects.

And then she decides that now is the time.

And then she decides that now is the time.

Yes. So she takes her infant daughter, Sophia, and she would later say, I did not run away because I thought that wicked. I walked away because I thought that was all right. And in walks she did, about 13 miles. I calculated, apparently, that's a little over 21 kilometers for our adherence to the metric system.

Yes. So she takes her infant daughter, Sophia, and she would later say, I did not run away because I thought that wicked. I walked away because I thought that was all right. And in walks she did, about 13 miles. I calculated, apparently, that's a little over 21 kilometers for our adherence to the metric system.

She goes and she takes refuge with a family, the Van Wagenens, who are anti-slavery, have a strong opposition to slavery, and they take in Isabella and her infant daughter. And it's, I'm sure, a hard decision. She leaves her children and her husband behind with Dumont in order to make this break and to self-emancipate.

She goes and she takes refuge with a family, the Van Wagenens, who are anti-slavery, have a strong opposition to slavery, and they take in Isabella and her infant daughter. And it's, I'm sure, a hard decision. She leaves her children and her husband behind with Dumont in order to make this break and to self-emancipate.

So John Dumont eventually tracks her down. He does. He comes to the Van Wagenens and they implore him to sell Isabella and Sophia to them. And so they pay Dumont $25, $20 for Isabella and $5 for Sophia, settling the debt and essentially securing the freedom for both mother and child in a gesture of how much

So John Dumont eventually tracks her down. He does. He comes to the Van Wagenens and they implore him to sell Isabella and Sophia to them. And so they pay Dumont $25, $20 for Isabella and $5 for Sophia, settling the debt and essentially securing the freedom for both mother and child in a gesture of how much

this would mean to her, that the Van Wagenens would do this, Isabella actually takes their surname. So she becomes Isabella Van Wagenen.

this would mean to her, that the Van Wagenens would do this, Isabella actually takes their surname. So she becomes Isabella Van Wagenen.

Yes, so her five-year-old son is sold, and not only is he sold, he's sold south to Alabama, which lives in the mind of many enslaved people as the worst place that you want to be enslaved. You do not want to be sold down south. The conditions are arduous and dangerous and violent, and it breaks the spirit. So Isabella is very concerned about her son. She gets lawyers, and she sues.

Yes, so her five-year-old son is sold, and not only is he sold, he's sold south to Alabama, which lives in the mind of many enslaved people as the worst place that you want to be enslaved. You do not want to be sold down south. The conditions are arduous and dangerous and violent, and it breaks the spirit. So Isabella is very concerned about her son. She gets lawyers, and she sues.

Not only does she sue Getney—so her son is sold to a man called Solomon Getney— for participating in the illegal sale of her son, because New York state law prevents the sale of a person who would be free in a place where they cannot ever be free, right? So by going to Alabama, he's never going to be emancipated. And she sues Albany Supreme Court for allowing the sale to happen.

Not only does she sue Getney—so her son is sold to a man called Solomon Getney— for participating in the illegal sale of her son, because New York state law prevents the sale of a person who would be free in a place where they cannot ever be free, right? So by going to Alabama, he's never going to be emancipated. And she sues Albany Supreme Court for allowing the sale to happen.

So she sues the man and the state, and she is victorious. So in 1828, the judge rules, quote, the boy be delivered into the hands of his mother, having no other master, no other controller, no other conductor but his mother. And she becomes and bringing the suit, the first black woman to win a legal victory against a white man to secure a family member's freedom.

So she sues the man and the state, and she is victorious. So in 1828, the judge rules, quote, the boy be delivered into the hands of his mother, having no other master, no other controller, no other conductor but his mother. And she becomes and bringing the suit, the first black woman to win a legal victory against a white man to secure a family member's freedom.

So this is hugely, hugely historic. And we owe a lot to the archives. So the New York archive discovered records only a few years ago in 2022 that give us much more information about the case, including the fact that Isabella was allowed to give a deposition, which is very uncommon for black Americans in the court. at the time.

So this is hugely, hugely historic. And we owe a lot to the archives. So the New York archive discovered records only a few years ago in 2022 that give us much more information about the case, including the fact that Isabella was allowed to give a deposition, which is very uncommon for black Americans in the court. at the time.