Bishop was freed in 1856, seven years after the death of his enslaver, in accordance with Dr. Croghan's will. While Bishop had talked of buying his wife and son's freedom and traveling to Liberia, he never went. Shortly after his family's freedom Bishop bought a small plot of land for his family instead. Bishop died on June 15, 1857. It is unknown if his desire to go to Liberia was sincere or was a way to convey an impression of personal ambition in a non-threatening manner to white visitors.