
Sourland Mountain, NJ
Sylvia Dubois Was an African-American woman born into slavery who became free after striking her slave mistress. Dubois was born in Sourland Mountain, NJ in 1788 she was a slave working at a tavern in Great Bend, Penn. In 1808, history dictates that while scrubbing a floor, Dubois’ slave mistress did not like the work she was doing and hit her. Dubois hit the slave mistress back. She fled to New York but later returned to Great Bend and her master set her free. Dubois then went to New Brunswick to be with her mother. She later inherited Put’s Tavern owned by her grandfather becoming the owner. Dubois lived to be 100 years old and died in Sourland Mountain.