Born: 1791 (Bladensburg, Maryland)
Biography:
Anna Ann Williams (born 1791 – d. unknown) was an enslaved woman who successfully sued for freedom for herself and her children before the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. Her lawsuit and her infamous jump from the window of the F Street Tavern heightened public awareness of the terror and suffering caused by the slave trade in the United States.
Life:
Williams was born into slavery around 1791 in the Bladensburg, Maryland area. She was originally enslaved at a plantation in Bladensburg and was married, having six children. In November 1815, Williams was sold to Georgia slave traders, forcibly separated from her family.
During this traumatic period, Williams made a daring escape attempt, jumping from the third-floor window of the F Street Tavern in Washington, D.C. Her action garnered significant attention, with abolitionist writers sharing the story to bring awareness to the human indignities inflicted by the slave trade. Unfortunately, Williams suffered severe injuries from the fall, fracturing her arms and breaking her back. Despite her injuries, she miraculously survived.
After her fall, the slave trader left Williams behind but still took her two daughters to be sold. The news of her fall reached Jesse Torrey, a prominent Philadelphia physician and anti-slavery writer, who was actively gathering first-hand narratives of African Americans’ experiences with slavery and kidnapping. In December 1815, Torrey visited and interviewed Williams, who was still recovering at the tavern.
Her remarkable escape and the circumstances surrounding it played a pivotal role in prompting a formal Congressional inquiry in 1816. Congressman John Randolph, as the chairperson of the select committee, subpoenaed testimony from Torrey, the two medical doctors who treated Williams – Dr. Benjamin King and Dr. W. Jones, and Francis Scott Key, an attorney who had been gathering evidence of kidnappings related to the interstate slave trade.
In 1828, Williams took her fight for freedom to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC circuit. She filed a lawsuit claiming that George Miller Sr. and George Miller Jr. had illegally enslaved her. Represented by Francis Scott Key, Williams was granted a certification of protection, allowing her to live independently while the case was pending.
The case went to trial in the summer of 1832, culminating in a significant victory for Williams. On July 2, 1832, the jury found in her favor, affirming her illegal enslavement and granting her freedom. This victory extended not only to Williams but also to her children and descendants. The jury likely determined that her 1815 sale was in violation of the Maryland Act of 1796, which prohibited domestic slave traders from importing slaves into Maryland for the purpose of selling them.
Anna Williams’ fight for freedom and successful legal battle against the institution of slavery highlighted the immense cruelty and injustice faced by the enslaved population in the United States. Her remarkable story, including her jump from the window and subsequent victory in court, played a significant role in raising public awareness about the horrors of the slave trade.