William Henry Ellis—U.S. Slave Who Became a Millionaire by Pretending to Be Mexican
William Henry Ellis, also known as Guillermo Enrique Eliseo, was a former African American slave who found his way around the racist Jim Crow system by pretending to be of different ethnicity. The former slave would become one of the most successful “Mexican” businessmen of the early 20th century.
William Henry Ellis was born in Victoria, Texas in 1864, one year before slavery was abolished. Ellis grew up around Mexicans and “Tejanos” at a cotton plantation and became fluent in Spanish. He would become the assistant and Spanish translator of William McNamara, a powerful Irish merchant.
At the age of 20, Ellis moved to San Antonio and became involved in the cotton and hide business. Ellis told his new contacts and newspaper outlets that his name was Guillermo Enrique Eliseo, of Mexican origin. His olive skin and fluency in Spanish helped Ellis blend in with the Mexican and Tejano population. As a businessman who was regularly on the move, Ellis’ new identity helped him travel on train with similar commodities as white travelers.
William Henry Ellis was born in Victoria, Texas in 1864, one year before slavery was abolished. Ellis grew up around Mexicans and “Tejanos” at a cotton plantation and became fluent in Spanish. He would become the assistant and Spanish translator of William McNamara, a powerful Irish merchant.
At the age of 20, Ellis moved to San Antonio and became involved in the cotton and hide business. Ellis told his new contacts and newspaper outlets that his name was Guillermo Enrique Eliseo, of Mexican origin. His olive skin and fluency in Spanish helped Ellis blend in with the Mexican and Tejano population. As a businessman who was regularly on the move, Ellis’ new identity helped him travel on train with similar commodities as white travelers.
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In 1889 Ellis traveled to Mexico City and met with several high-ranking members of President Porfirio Diaz’ government. He convinced them to allow him to build a colony of 20,000 African Americans by claiming that “African-Americans were the best cotton pickers in the world.” The project was canceled when Ellis was not able to secure enough funding. In 1894, Ellis resumed his colonization plan and moved almost one thousand African Americans to Tlahualilo, Durango, to work for “La Compañía Agrícola Limitada del Tlahualilo.” Ellis ecstatically expressed that “he had lived to see African Americans in the country of God and liberty.” His dream crumbled, though, as disease and poor living conditions drove most of the colonizers to return to the United States. Ellis decided to move to New York after it was revealed in San Antonio that he was African American. A letter “c” for “colored” was placed next to his name on the new phone book directory. In 1904 Ellis bought a seat in Wall Street. Wall Street was “obsessed” with investing in Mexico, and Ellis was very well connected with Porfirio Diaz’ government. Ellis would become president of several mining and rubber companies, all deeply invested in Mexico. He would then purchase the biggest furniture store in Mexico and became Mexico’s representative for the Hotchkiss Arms Company. |
Ellis married a white woman of humble background named Maude Sherwood and had six children, two, which passed away shortly after birth. In a press release, Ellis also fabricated Sherwood’s background and stated she belonged to British nobility.
During the Mexican Revolution, Ellis suffered economic losses and contracts he had signed with Diaz’ government. When Mexican President Venustiano Carranza was overthrown by Àlvaro Obregon, Ellis accompanied Carranza as he fled Mexico City. In 1923, Ellis worked with President Obregon to reduce tariffs at ports in order to attract more business.
On September 24, 1923, Ellis passed away in Mexico City and was buried in “El Panteon Español” in a grave without a name. A few years later, his wife and children permanently moved to Mexico. His descendants still live in Mexico and are known as the “Eliseos.” They are affluent and successful Mexicans who were not aware of Ellis’ African American background until Karl Jacoby, author of Ellis’ autobiography, arranged a family reunion between “the Mexican Eliseos and the American Ellises.” In 2015, Ellis’ great-grand-nephew, Chip Williams, who lives in the United States, was invited to Ellis’ great-granddaughter’s wedding in Tepoztlán, Mexico.
Ellis’ biography is titled The strange career of William Ellis: The slave who became a Mexican millionaire and can be purchased on Amazon.
During the Mexican Revolution, Ellis suffered economic losses and contracts he had signed with Diaz’ government. When Mexican President Venustiano Carranza was overthrown by Àlvaro Obregon, Ellis accompanied Carranza as he fled Mexico City. In 1923, Ellis worked with President Obregon to reduce tariffs at ports in order to attract more business.
On September 24, 1923, Ellis passed away in Mexico City and was buried in “El Panteon Español” in a grave without a name. A few years later, his wife and children permanently moved to Mexico. His descendants still live in Mexico and are known as the “Eliseos.” They are affluent and successful Mexicans who were not aware of Ellis’ African American background until Karl Jacoby, author of Ellis’ autobiography, arranged a family reunion between “the Mexican Eliseos and the American Ellises.” In 2015, Ellis’ great-grand-nephew, Chip Williams, who lives in the United States, was invited to Ellis’ great-granddaughter’s wedding in Tepoztlán, Mexico.
Ellis’ biography is titled The strange career of William Ellis: The slave who became a Mexican millionaire and can be purchased on Amazon.
Sources
Sulbarán, P. (2020, August 02). El esclavo de Texas que se hizo millonario haciéndose pasar por mexicano. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-53479776
Sullivan, W. (2017, July 22). William Henry Ellis (1864-1923). Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/ellis-william-henry-1864-1923/
Terrazas, L., & Martinez, N. (2018, November 21). Fronteras Extra: How A Former Texas Slave Became A Wall Street Millionaire. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from http://www.tpr.org/post/fronteras-extra-how-former-texas-slave-became-wall-street-millionaire
Sulbarán, P. (2020, August 02). El esclavo de Texas que se hizo millonario haciéndose pasar por mexicano. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-53479776
Sullivan, W. (2017, July 22). William Henry Ellis (1864-1923). Retrieved August 19, 2020, from https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/ellis-william-henry-1864-1923/
Terrazas, L., & Martinez, N. (2018, November 21). Fronteras Extra: How A Former Texas Slave Became A Wall Street Millionaire. Retrieved August 19, 2020, from http://www.tpr.org/post/fronteras-extra-how-former-texas-slave-became-wall-street-millionaire
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