Historical Spotlight: Bridget “Biddy” Mason
California is known for its beautiful sunny beaches, the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, the tech innovations of Silicon Valley, and the notoriously high cost of living that permeates every aspect of daily life for residents. Despite boasting a proud history of joining the Union as a Free State, there are multiple instances of California actually protecting the institution of slavery. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on Bridget “Biddy” Mason, a slave who not only fought and won her freedom, but who also became one of the first prominent landowners in Los Angeles in the 1850s and 1860s.
Bridget was born a slave in 1818, but there are no concrete records of her exact birthday or birthplace. During her early years, she was able to learn domestic, agricultural, and medicinal skills, which proved valuable later in her life. Documentation of her sales has never been found, but her last owner was Robert Smith, a Mississippi Mormon convert.
Biddy had three children while with the Smith household. Ellen was born in 1838, Ann was born in 1844, and Harriet was born in 1847. While it’s unknown who the fathers were, it’s suspected that Robert likely fathered at least one of her children.
In 1848, Robert decided to follow the call of the church and moved his family and slaves to the West where they would help establish a Mormon community in present day Salt Lake City, Utah. Biddy walked 1,700 miles behind a 300-wagon caravan and was responsible for setting up and breaking down camp, cooking meals, herding cattle, and even served as a midwife.
They lived in Utah for two years before deciding to relocate again in 1851 to San Bernardino, California. Despite slavery being illegal in California, Robert brought Biddy and the other slaves to the new Mormon community. During the voyage, Biddy met Charles and Elizabeth Rowan, a free Black couple, who urged her to legally fight for her freedom once she reached California.
The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, but the courts routinely ruled against the freedom claims of slaves in support of slave owners. The state also participated in the Fugitive Slave Act and returned free Black people to their owners in the South. Slaves were originally brought to California during the Gold Rush in the 1840s to work in the mines and as domestic servants. Between 1850 and 1860, more than 2,000 enslaved people were brought to the state.
After spending five years in California, Biddy challenged Robert for her freedom. On January 21, 1856, L.A. District Judge Benjamin Hayes approved her petition, effectively freeing her and 13 members of her extended family. In 1860, she received a certified copy of the document that guaranteed her freedom. She didn’t originally have a legal last name, so she chose Mason after being freed. Some speculate she took the name in homage to Apostle Amasa Mason Lyman, but others think it was more than likely her original family name.
She moved her family to Los Angeles, where she worked as a midwife and nurse. She delivered hundreds of babies during her career and used her knowledge of herbal remedies to care for those affected by the smallpox epidemic. Even though she never learned to read or write, she was very skilled in her work.
She saved her money to become one of the first Black American women to own land in Los Angeles. In 1866, she purchased nearly an acre of land on Spring Street and sparked the development of downtown L.A. Over time, she opened a variety of businesses in the area and her wealth grew to an estimated $3 million.
She shared her large fortune with the community by donating to numerous charities, feeding and sheltering the poor, and visiting prisoners. She was instrumental in founding a traveler’s aid center and an elementary school for Black children. Many people started calling her “Auntie Mason” or Grandma Mason” because of her kind and giving spirit.
In 1872, Biddy was a founding member of First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, the city’s first Black church. The organizing meetings were held in her home and she donated the land on which the church was built. She was a well-known figure in the city due to all of her community outreach. She was known for her saying, “If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives."
Biddy lived a full life and died in Los Angeles on January 15, 1891. She was buried in an unmarked grave in Evergreen Cemetery until 1988 when the mayor of L.A. and the members of the church she founded, held a ceremony and marked her grave with a tombstone.
She was a true pioneer of using her wealth and opportunities to build resources for her community. Not only did she fight for and win her freedom, she kept a loving, generous spirit despite the troubles and hardships of her early life. She forever has a legacy of fighting the good fight against racial inequality.
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Signed,
Jessica Marie
