Biddy Mason
| Biddy Mason | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Bridget August 15, 1818 Georgia |
| Died | January 15, 1891 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Bridget Mason |
| Occupation | Mid-wife, California real estate entrepreneur, nurse, philanthropist |
| Known for | Philanthropy, Founding the Los Angeles First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, California real-estate entrepreneur |
Bridget "Biddy" Mason (August 15, 1818 – January 15, 1891) was an African-American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist. She is the founder of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, California. She was born in Georgia.
Biddy Mason was born a slave on August 15, 1818, in Georgia She was given the name of "Bridget" with no surname and was given to Robert Smith and his bride as a wedding present. After the marriage, Smith took his new wife and slaves to Mississippi.
Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) proselytized in Mississippi. They taught Smith and his wealthy family and they converted. Slaves were not baptized in the church as a matter of policy. Members were encouraged to free their slaves, but Smith chose not to do so.
The Smith household joined a group of other church members from Mississippi to meet the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1847. The group traveled to Pueblo, Colorado, and joined up with the sick detachment from the Mormon Battalion. They later joined the main body of Mormons crossing the plains and settled in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Territory.
Church leader Brigham Young sent a group of Mormons to Southern California in 1851. Robert Smith, his family, and his slaves joined them in San Bernardino, California, sometime later. Bridget was among a large group of slaves in the San Bernardino settlement. As part of the Compromise of 1850, California was admitted as a free state and any slave who resided in the state or was born in the state was free. Bridget had lived in California for four years and some of the other slaves had been born in California, so they were covered by the law. Bridget wanted to be free, but was under the control of Robert Smith and ignorant of the laws and her rights.
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