In 1935, Johnson wrote two historical plays, "William and Ellen Craft" and "Frederick Douglass." "William and Ellen Craft" describes the escape of a black couple from slavery, in a work about the importance of self-love, the use of religion for support, and the power of strong relationships between black men and women. Her work "Frederick Douglass" is about his personal qualities that are not as much in the public eye: his love and tenderness for Ann, who he met while still enslaved, and then was married to in freedom for over four decades. Other themes include the spirit of survival, the need for self-education, and the value of the community and of the extended family.