Mary Ellen Pleasant
About This Project
Public interest in the vibrant abolitionist and San Francisco icon Mrs. Mary Ellen Pleasant (~1810-1904) continues to grow. She has been noted in various media outlets including several recent podcasts and a portrayal by Lisa Bonet on Drunk TV. Three biographies have been written since the mid-1950s. Two well researched books are noted in the Resources link. Please see this link for her basic biography. Also see this article, a second/updated edition of Mrs Pleasant’s final interview with Sam P Davis dated Nov 15, 1903. Link
In the early 1990s three women became entranced by Mrs. Pleasants story. Two conducted original research and published non-fiction books (see recommended books) and the third has put together this website to share recent research findings. The technology boom and digitization of the last 20 years has made it possible to conduct extensive research via online resources.
However, some documents can only be viewed in person. Via this website recent research findings are being made available to the general public. The materials have been gathered from various Historical Associations across the US, online repositories and through compilation of family trees. Reference data is provided.
We wish to thank the Historical Associations and local County/Town Clerks for gathering, sharing and preserving this data.
The data provided via this website is not considered definitive by the researcher but is presented as additional information to consider when studying Mrs. Pleasant’s life and legacy.
Mary Ellen Pleasant Becomes a Rich, Black Abolitionist (feat. Lisa Bonet) - Drunk History
Historical Associations visited
Goochland County Historical Association, Goochland, VA
Library of Virginia, Richmond Virginia
Historical Association of Philadelphia, PA
Massachusetts Historical Society Boston, MA
Museum of African American History, Boston, MA
Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, MA
Nantucket Anetheum, Nantucket, MA
Beth Winegarner
A special thanks for helping me track the original location of Lizzie and John’s burials and their relocation to Colma, CA.
Websites / Articles
CaliSphere-The Negro in California history. Panel 2: Mary Ellen Pleasant (zoom in to see MEP left side of panel)
National Women’s Historical Library
Mary Ellen Pleasant Papers – C.G. Tripp, another writer entranced by MEP’s story has compiled collection of newspaper articles.
Napa County Historical Society
Nantucket Historical Association – Who Was Mary Ellen Pleasant?
Santa Rosa History – Seeking Mammy Pleasant
Sonoma County Open Space – Calabazas Creek Preserve Oral History pg. 34
Berkeley Heritage – Beltane Ranch: From ‘Dusty Place’ to ‘Mammy’s Place,’ Daniella Thompson
Ghost of a Legend: How a San Francisco Civil Rights Icon Was Made a Monster
How a Heroine Became a ‘Demon’ in Victorian San Francisco
KALW Crosscurrents – The Real History Behind Mary Ellen Pleasant, San Francisco’s “voodoo queen”
What did Queen Emma Look Like (photo controversy)