Biography

Benjamin Ross, or "Ben" Ross was born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland as the property of a wealthy landowner by the name of Anthony Thompson. He married Harriet "Rit" Greene in an informal ceremony which marked their commitment to each other. In 1836, Thompson died, which led to Ross's emancipation and collection of 10 acres as cited in Thompson's will. After emancipation he continued working in what he had done as slave, being a lumberman. He became a conductor of the underground railroad in his life, successfully freeing many slaves from the Carolinas. However, after local law enforcement caught wind of the strategic escapes, Ross found himself needing to flee from the area, which would bring him to Ontario, Canada.  His last move would be from St. Catherines in Ontario to Auburn, New York where Harriet Tubman lived at this time, as Ross and his wife could not bear the harsh winters. He is mentioned in a letter from Janet "Jenny" MacNeil Seward to Margaret Rebecca Watson, which cites his death as happening in the week prior to November 26, 1871.