Remember the Pearl
The 176th Anniversary of the Historic 1848 Attempted Escape of Enslaved People to Freedom from the Southwest, Washington DC.
The Pearl was a schooner that carried 77 enslaved people from Washington, DC, on an attempted bid for freedom. The incident and its aftermath contributed to the abolition of slavery in Washington, DC, the nation’s new capital, and the United States. This event is free and open to the public.
Sunday, April 14 - The Pearl Initiative will present a commemorative program, “Remember the Pearl,” on Sunday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., at Westminster Church, 400 I St SW, Washington, DC 20024. Light refreshments served after the program.
Monday, April 15 - To highlight the experience of the escapees, a procession with music, drumming and dance will follow the program. It will start at 6 p.m. at Westminster Church, 400 I St SW, Washington, DC 20024. The walk will end at the Recreation Pier at 7th Street SW where there will be a reading of the names of the Pearl passengers, with libations and flowers poured in their honor.
“So few people know about this important part of DC’s history," said Rev. Ruth Hamilton, the first convener of The Pearl Initiative composed of Southwest residents. On this 175th anniversary of the event, and the third annual remembrance, members of The Pearl Initiative hope this commemoration will stimulate or renew interest in the story of the Pearl. We also honor the longstanding work of The Pearl Coalition founded by the late Lloyd D. Smith, and carried on by his grandson, David Smith.
Contact: rememberthepearl1848@gmail.com
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2024 Press Release
For Immediate Release Media
Contact: Rev. Brian E. Hamilton, Westminster Church beh@westminsterdc.org 202-641-8221
Remember the Pearl: Event to Commemorate the 176th Anniversary of the Historic 1848 Attempted Escape of Enslaved People to Freedom from the Southwest Washington, DC Waterfront.
On Sunday, April 14th, at 2 p.m., at Westminster Church, located at 4th and I Streets, Southwest, Washington, DC, there will be a commemorative program to Remember the Pearl.
In 1848, 77 enslaved men, women, and children boarded the three-masted Pearl schooner at the waterfront in Southwest Washington to sail to freedom. It was the single largest organized attempt in the United States for enslaved people to escape from slavery to freedom.
History will come alive during the program with a virtual tour of sites in and around Washington, DC related to the Pearl escape and slavery. In addition, guests will view a video of the escape and be challenged to see the themes in it that have shaped American consciousness and reverberate in contemporary American life. Descendants of the escapees will be present at the program and the following reception.
On Monday, April 15th, at 6:00 p.m., a celebratory procession to the Southwest DC waterfront with music, drumming, and dance will take place to memorialize the experience of the escapees. Starting at the corner of 4th and I Streets, Southwest, the walk will end at the Recreation Pier at 7th Street Southwest, where the names of the Pearl passengers will be read, libations poured, and flowers tossed into the river in their honor.
“So few people know about this important part of DC’s history," said Rev. Ruth Hamilton, the first convener of The Pearl Initiative composed of Southwest residents. On this 176th anniversary of the event, and the fourth annual remembrance, members of The Pearl Initiative hope this commemoration will stimulate or renew interest in the story of the Pearl. We also honor the long-standing work of The Pearl Coalition founded by the late Lloyd D. Smith and carried on by his grandson, David Smith.
For more information about the Remember the Pearl commemoration and The Pearl Initiative, visit https://www.rememberthepearl.com.
Celebrate freedom! Everyone is invited. This event is free and open to the public.
The Pearl Initiative is a community group based in Southwest Washington, DC that seeks to uplift the abolitionist and historical legacy of the Pearl Escape of 1848 - the largest known non-violent escape of enslaved persons in US history. As a founding member, you will be a part of this important mission and vision. Membership is open nationwide.
We are made up of citizen and academic researchers, retired career professionals, and community leaders. We are also highly fortunate to have descendants of Pearl freedom-seekers.
THE PEARL ESCAPE.
April 15, 1848.
Help plan annual commemoration.
Regenerate and reimagine cultural traditions.
Access to exclusive member events and merchandise.
Member Benefits
Develop resources and educational curricula.
Ensure the Pearl legacy and its proper place in US culture.
They Made History and Herstory.
The Pearl Escape of 1848. This courageous bid for freedom by 77 men, women, and children was one of the many attempted escapes by enslaved African Americans now coming to light. It was the most significant attempt in the nation’s capital. The escape was planned by the District’s Underground Railroad (UGRR)—a coalition of free and enslaved African-Americans and white allies—in coordination with UGRR connections up and down the East Coast. A political goal was to bring pressure on Congress to end slavery in the nation’s capital. The goal of the escapees was freedom and an end to the constant threat of being separated from their loved ones. Captain Drayton hired The Pearl vessel for the escape. The plan was to sail from the Southwest waterfront down the Potomac River into the Chesapeake Bay and north to freedom. The brave people came from all over DC, many of them enslaved in some of the most powerful homes in the city. They arrived quietly after dark, going below deck till all were gathered. It was the evening of Saturday, April 15. They set sail. Progress was slow.
Finally, by Sunday evening, they came to the broad Chesapeake where freedom must have seemed so close. But bad weather arose and the man responsible for the vessel refused to let the Captain proceed across the Chesapeake. They tried to hide the boat in a cove at Point Lookout, but their valiant escape was foiled when they were sighted by an armed posse searching for them in a steamboat. Brought back to the city, the whole group, including the white crewman, was paraded through the streets. The sheer audacity of the attempt led to several days of riots by enraged whites. Many of the escapees, including Mary and Emily Edmonson (shown), saw their worst fears come true when they and their brothers were quickly sold to a notorious Alexandria slave trader who eventually filled another ship to carry them down to the slave market of New Orleans. The first Middle Passage was the horrific journey from Africa to the Americas. While this trans-Atlantic trade to the US ended officially in 1808, the “second middle passage” continued and grew till over one million African Americans had been separated from their families and “sold down the river.” This is part of The Pearl story. Image credit: ChatGPT AI
Education.
Connecting.
Establishing.
We use many performative and visual art forms to help educate and empower. In 2022, we debuted our 16-panel story of the Pearl Escape, connecting it to abolitionist and contemporary themes of freedom and liberation. Here are samples from that public exhibit. Panel were created by Christopher Williams, with contributions by members of the Pearl Initiative.
Panel 1 of the Pearl banners (Christopher Williams, 2022)
Panel 3 of the Pearl banners (Christopher Williams, 2022)
Panel 5 of the Pearl banners (Christopher Williams, 2022)
Contact the Pearl Group.
You can reach the Pearl Group using this form.
We are a group of SW community members invited by Vyllorya Evans and Rev. Ruth Hamilton of Westminster Presbyterian Church to renew interest in the story of "The Pearl" and its powerful meaning for today. We honor the long-standing work of The Pearl Coalition led by Mr. David Smith, grandson of founder Mr. Lloyd Smith. Group participants have included: Audrey Hinton, Vania Georgieva, Patricia Bishop, Dr. Sheila S. Walker, Kenneth Ward, and Chris Williams.