Henry 'Box' Brown was a 19th-century enslaved man who escaped to freedom by arranging to have himself mailed in a wooden crate from Virginia to Philadelphia. Brown endured a harrowing 27-hour journey in a cramped and dark box, ultimately emerging in Philadelphia a free man on March 24, 1849. His incredible escape became a symbol of the lengths to which enslaved individuals would go to gain freedom and was a powerful example of resistance against the institution of slavery. Brown went on to become a prominent abolitionist and performer, using his story to advocate for the abolition of slavery and to raise awareness of the harsh realities faced by enslaved people.