Sophia and George Bell lived in small cabin near the Pratt family plantation where they may have met African American mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) when Benneker was with a survey party near their cabin measuring the boundaries of the nation's new capitol. Sophia and George Bell may well have seen through Benneker's accomplishments and attainments that education was the key to the advancement of their children and their community. Sophia and George's first objective was to win their freedom. Sophia kept a small garden apparently, with the consent of the Pratts , she was able to grow produce for her family and more importantly she was able to sell any extra vegetables in the local markets of Alexandria and the District of Columbia. After a time she was able to gather enough money to purchase her husband George's freedom from Anthony Addison's for $400.00. George Bell was later was able to buy Sophia's freedom for $5.00. Sophia Bell's low price, was said to have been based on Sophia being very ill at the time, and her owner Rachel Pratt becoming convinced that Sophia was near death; thus Mrs. Pratt was amenable to grant Sophia her freedom for the nominal sum. Gradually the couple was able to buy freedom for their children, with the exception of their daughter, Harriet ( AKA Harrieta) who like her mother was also enslaved to the Pratt family. Perhaps realizing that she had been hoodwinked Rachel Pratt would not countenance or agree to a sale and Harriet only manumitted in Rachel Pratt in last will some years later.

      Sophia's husband George Bell had received training as a carpenter, perhaps while growing up on Anthony Addison's estate. It appears that the Addison family later allowed George Bell to work some time on his own as carpenter. A trade which George Bell continued to work in for much of his life, it is unclear where his workshop was actually located, although most trade's people worked near their homes.

      George and Sophia Bell were quickly recognized as leaders in the early African American community of the District. The Bells, like many black families, were attracted to the Methodist Church and worshiped early on at the Ebenezer Methodist church, on Capitol Hill. The first Methodists were critical of slavery, and as Methodists they held with their founder John Wesley, that there was an essential equality of all believers before God. Over time, however, most white congregants retreated from their earlier egalitarianism and most African Americans resented being confined to the galleries of the church, as they found that the church itself no longer welcoming.

      It's worth emphasizing that this church segregation process was not unique to Washington, D.C. or to the Methodist Church. Indeed, similar processes were going on throughout most denominations and in most American cities. In the 1820's, George and Sophia Bell along with other black parishioners decided the time was right for them to move to another church of their own. As a result, they helped found the Israel Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

      In addition to their striving for equality within the church, the Bells were much concerned with education. In 1807, George Bell, Nicholas Franklin and Moses Liverpool announced they were starting a school for black children. The school which became known as "the Bell school," was the first in the District of Columbia open to free black children. George Bell, Franklin, and Liverpool were most likely illiterate, ( Sophia too probably never had an opportunity to learn to read and write) yet each knew from their own personal experience how important education was to attaining equality and economic prosperity. George and Sophia Bell are said to have been the school's principal financial supporters. At the time, Nicholas Franklin and Moses Liverpool worked as ship caulkers at the Washington Navy Yard. The new school was led by a white teacher, a Mr. Lowe to avert the concerns of the white community that education would result in a slave insurrection. .

      The Bell School survived for just a few years due to lack of steady funding and the fact that in 1807, the District of Columbia's "free colored" population consisted of only 494 individuals. Thus the small student base probably doomed their venture from the start. Still the Bell family and Sophia Bell's remarkable sister, Alethea Browning Tanner, combined with other daring members of the community and made another try in 1818 with the Resolute Beneficial Society School.

      In their announcement for the new school, the sponsors made considerable efforts to placate white fears of the Black population learning to read and write. The sponsors also made clear their policy of never assisting slaves to write any type of communication less they be implicated in assisting slaves to evade capture by forging travel passes and like documents. The Resolute Beneficial Society School eventually succumbed to the shear realities of a segregated society though the District's Black population never gave up and their support efforts along with sympathetic white support, continued to open private schools for black children. Sophia and George Bell must have send their children to school as their is documentation which reflects their ability to read and write.

      By 1840 George and Sophia Bell were most likely semi-retired. They are both enumerated on the 1840 Census for the District of Columbia as "Free colored Persons". George Bell is listed as over 55 (he was then about 78 years of age). Sophia is also listed as over 55 years of age (she was about 70 years of age). With the couple are two others: one male under ten and one female age 10-24 years; most likely their grandchildren. Living near them is their son, Enoch Bell, and his family.

      As reflected in his will, George Bell was able to accumulate property and had some saving to pass on to his wife and children. By the time of his death in 1844, George Bell, could look back on a life filled with achievements and hard work. He and his beloved wife Sophia had managed to obtain, by their long labors and perseverance, and in spite of all obstacles, not only their own freedom, but they had also purchased the manumission of their children and grandchildren.

      Following George Bell's death, Sophia most likely lived with her daughter Harrieta and her grandchildren. On April 22, 1846 the Bell family would have heard of the arrest of Sophia's son, Enoch George Bell in Baltimore. Enoch was working at the Baltimore Navy Yard as a porter he was charged with "having been concerned in the abduction of a slave woman named Sophia the property of Governor Pratt." The trial was held in Baltimore with Phillip Barton Key (Phillip was the son of Francis Scott Key the author of the National Anthem) serving as prosecutor) and Joseph Bradley a successful and prominent Washington D.C. lawyer ( In 1848 Bradley would represent some of the fugitives on the Schooner Pearl after their failed escape Phillip Barton Key would prosecute in this case as well) a contemporary reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspaper, states, "the court room is crowded to excess - several members of Congress present - The affair has created an unusual interest amongst the colored portion of our population- I have never seen so many within the court house at any one time." The charge of kidnapping was routinely used against those who offered to help or assist enslaved persons to escape and could be punished by years in a penitentiary. The Baltimore Sun reporter's account confirms status of the Bell and Browning families. The loans made to Enoch Bell which are recounted in Sophia Bell's last will and testament may have been made to assist with payment for his defense and legal counsel. Who the slave Sophia was and what Enoch Bell's actual relationship with her is not clear, it is possible that this Sophia was related to the Bell family. Since other members of the Browning families were owned by Rachael Pratt it is possible that Enoch may have acted to free this enslaved women out of love and familial duty. From the accounts in the Baltimore Sun, Enoch was apparently allowed bail and appears to have fled to New Bedford Massachusetts where he lived with his family for some years. In New Bedford Enoch would be secure from retaliation by the Pratt family or further legal action initiated by Thomas Pratt in his role as Maryland State Governor. Enoch's departure for New Bedford probably meant that Sophia and other members of the Bell family had to keep a low profile until interest in the case diminished.

      Sophia Bell and her husband George led long and productive lives with many of their actions directed to the service of larger community such as sponsoring the first two schools for Black children in the District of Columbia and by their financial support which made possible education for many hundreds of young people.

      Finally, Sophia and George Bell had contributed and promoted the new African American Methodist Episcopal Church as a place of refuge and dignity for their community. Their impressive legacy was truly "a goodly heritage."

All these were honored in their generations,
and were the Glory of their times."                  Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 44: 1 - 15