Sylvia Dubois was born to enslaved parents in 1768. At full growth she was 5’10”, and over 200 pounds in weight. Her mother, Dorcus, attempted to buy her own freedom at least twice, but failed to make the payments, and died without attaining her goal.

Sylvia became free by an unusual route: whipping her mistress in front of a large number of people in a barroom. Sylvia was feeling “grum” and didn’t do a satisfactory job of cleaning the barroom. Her mistress (never named) was in the habit of hitting Sylvia with “club, stik ov wod, tongs, fir-shuvel, nif, ax, hatchet … and then she was so damd qwik about it, to.” Page 59, “Sylvia Dubois, A Biografy of the Slav who Whipt her Mistress and Gand her Freedom,” accessed at babel.hathitrust.org

On that fateful day, the mistress hit Sylvia one too many times. Sylvia was grown by then, and fought back. “I nokt her doun, and blamd ner kild her.” Sylvia’s master, Minical Dubois, gave her a freedom pass on the condition she would take her child and move to New Jersey. Sylvia found her mother in Neu Brunswik, went to work, had five more children, and lived to be 116 years old.

Sylvia knew her age by a twist of fate. Her mother’s master, Richard Cumpton, had a son, also named Richard, born on March 3, 1768, as listed in the family Bible. Sylvia was born two days later. They were both nursed by Sylvia’s mother, and grew up together. Richard always maintained they were the same age.

Sylvia lived to be 116 years old, despite many difficulties in her life. She saw many slaves whipped until their bare backs were in strips, and then salt applied to the gashes. She had a lifelong dent in her head from being hit with a fire shovel by her mistress. Her children were named Moses, Judith, Charlot, Dorcus, Elizabeth, and Rachel. In her old age she lived in her father’s house, which she inherited, with her youngest daughter.

Let us not underestimate the will to live, and be free.