One of Abba and Frank’s daughters, Hannah, went on to marry a man named Emanuel Jackson, who bought his freedom in 1821 and spent the rest of his life buying the freedom of his and Hannah’s children enslaved by the Hites at Belle Grove.
While we don’t know exactly when Abba died, it is very likely that she and Frank were still alive in 1837 to witness her grandson, Emanuel Jackson Jr., get his freedom after his father paid Isaac’s estate $800 to free his son.
Emanuel Jackson Sr., Hannah’s husband, would go on to buy the freedom of their daughter, Betsy Ann, and sons Frank and Daniel, as well as Daniel’s wife and their young enslaved children.
Historians think that Abba and Frank lived into their 70s, so it is entirely possible that they both witnessed Betsy Ann, Frank, and Daniel all walk away from enslavement at Belle Grove and into freedom in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Yes, Abba was born into enslavement and died in enslavement, but her story – and her blood – lives on through her children and grandchildren who had the same resilience, tenacity, and power of love as their matriarch.
| To learn more about Hannah, Emanuel Jackson, and their children, be sure to visit our online exhibit, The Jackson Family: A Story of Resilience & The Enduring Love of Family. |
| To watch a theatrical interpretation of Abba’s life, visit “When a Trumpet Cries,” written and directed by Bleu Do’zia of The Selah Theatre Project. |
| To incorporate a learning activity in your classroom or at home, visit Abba, Enslavement, and Having Hard Conversations. |
