Write at least 100 words as a “comment,” giving the name of slave narrative, a short summary of the narrative, and why it is interesting to you.
Write at least 100 words as a “comment,” giving the name of slave narrative, a short summary of the narrative, and why it is interesting to you.
The slave narravtive I read is called “The Light and The Truth of Slavery, Aaron’s History.” Aaron was a slave who escaped from the South into freedom, where he spoke in churches about the ugly truth about what went on in slavery. He compares his views on slavery with religion and politics. He spoke a lot about how someone could call themselve a Christian, and be okay with slavery and the abuse slaves suffered from Christians. I found his view on how slavery was not as profitable as it was made out to be very interesting, becasue I was under the impression that slavery was mainly about financial benefits.
The slave narravtive I read is called “The Light and The Truth of Slavery, Aaron’s History.” Aaron was a slave who escaped from the South into freedom, where he spoke in churches about the ugly truth about what went on in slavery. He compares his views on slavery with religion and politics. He spoke a lot about how someone could call themselves a Christian, and be okay with slavery and the abuse slaves suffered from Christians. I found his view on how slavery was not as profitable as it was made out to be very interesting, because I was under the impression that slavery was mainly about financial benefits. (FIXED ONE)
The title of the slave narrative that I read is called, Days of Bondage Autobiography of Friday Jones. This narrative really caught my eye because it is an autobiography. Giving me the story of he trails and tribulations he encountered, but through his eyes with all of the emotions he felt at the time. It also caught my eyes because it touched on his religious beliefs and how they helped him overcome everything that he was going trough. He also goes into detail about his feelings when he found out that his eldest daughter was sold to a slave trader. Friday Jones seems like a very interesting man who kept faith alive and used all of the bad things in his life to help make him a stronger person.
I read slave narrative of Thomas Anderson called Taken from His Own Lips. In his story, he explained how he used to be a wicked young person and how he knew his bad ways would soon catch up with him. When he was nineteen he was introduced to religion and quickly changed his entire outlook on life. From then on Thomas Anderson used Christianity to get him through the hard days of slavery. He used his faith in God to explain to his master that his beatings could no longer hurt him. He never laid a hand on Mr. Anderson again. Religion is a big part of a lot of lives and is depended on for security and happiness. Thomas Anderson was a spiritually strong man that might have been rare to find during times of slavery.
The name of my slave narrative is “Reminiscences of School Life, and Hints on Teaching” by Fanny Jackson Coppin. She was born into slavery in 1837 in Washington D.C. Coppin’s narrative only talks about her childhood briefly and more of when she became free. Her freedom was purchased by her aunt for 125 dollars. Coppin really valued education. She worked as a domestic to avoid being a burden to her family. She attended school and took private lessons whenever possible. She secured private tutoring in Newport and eventually entered the Rhode Island State Normal School. She then obtained admission to Oberlin, which was a college for blacks. There she followed a gentlemen’s course although not advised by faculty. She graduated in 1865 and became principal of a youth school in 1869. In 1881 she married Reverend L.J. Coppin and encountered an illness which ended her life. Her narrative was left brusquely. I thought this particular narrative was interesting because she didn’t describe much of her childhood, which makes me wonder how it was. Also, the fact because Coppin is a woman and she valued her education more than anything.
Memoir of Mrs. Chloe Spear: Can you possibly imagine being enslaved as child; being ripped away from everything you know? Chloe Spear was un-rooted out of her homeland of Africa at the age of 12.She wasn’t allowed to blossom into the beautiful African culture that we know today. Spears became a beloved slave after Massachusetts abolished slavery. Spears was a strong women, she was able to digest the American culture that forced upon her. Chloe traveled with her owners to a plantation in Boston for a brief period then returning back to their former plantation. After relocating a series of events took place in her life; she joined a church, got married and had seven childe. Chloe was fortunate to outlive all of her kids and husband. After dealing with massive emotional pain, due to the loss of all her family members, she establishes a boarding house and opened her home for social gathering. Doing the act of establishing the boarding home Chloe became truly loved by black and white religious members.
The slave narravtive I read is called “Memoir of Mrs. Chloe Spear,
a Native of Africa.” In her memoir, Mrs. Chole Spear speaks of her times and hardships as a slave in Massachusetts during the times of 1767-1815. The memoir presents us with her spiritual evolution by framing us with her religious life stories. By sustaining having her faith and strenght, she was able to help out others during their hard times by starting a boarding house, having fellowships at her house and her intrest in missionary work. Although she passed away at the age of 65, people in her community was left with her legacy of having love for one another because everyone was born to be free. I loved this narrative because although she had hard times in her life she made it her goal in life to be a nurturer to others who struggled and needed something to belive in and have faith that everything will be alright.
The name of my slave narrative is “Battles and Victories of Allen Allensworth” by Charles Alexander. Charles Alexander was born in New York december 6,1849 in slavery and sold as a human chattel on the block of the slave market of Henderson, Kentucky. His parents was dragged from the jungles of Africa into slavery. He was known to be an gentleman of soul which kept him alive in the slavery life. He was an Democrat, Lawyer and counsel for Equitable Life insurance company. He was known for a lot of things in his life, such as being a member of New York State Board of Regents, 1913-23. H e was member of Society of colonial Wars. What makes me like this slave is that he was an educated black slave.
The Slave Narrative I decided to do is titled Sketch of the Life of Mr. Lewis Charlton and Reminiscences of Slavery written by Edward Everett Brown. The narrative tells about a slave named Lewis Charlton and his life as a slave. It tells his tale of how he was born into slavery and how he was treated and the pain that he had to suffer and what he witnessed. I was interested in this slave narrative because it paints a picture of what one of many people during that time had to witness through their lives. It shows also how some slave masters treated their slaves, which was mostly cruel and harsh.
The slave narrative I read was “From the Darkness Cometh the Light or Struggles for Freedom”, by Lucy A. Delaney. I choose this narrative because I wanted to hear a slave narrative from a woman’s point of view, since I have already read one from a male’s perspective. Lucy A. Delaney was an African American author, former slave, and activist. This slave narrative is actually one of the few post-emancipation published slave narratives. This narrative is a one of the only first person accounts of a freedom suit. Delaney writes about the struggles that her mom, Polly Berry, encountered after being born free, but kidnapped into slavery. In 1839, Polly sued the city of St. Louis for her own and her daughter’s freedom from slavery. For Delaney case, Berry gained the attention of a famous U.S. attorney general, politician and judge back in her time. Their cases were 2 of 301 cases field in St. Louis that actually was taken into action and is held with pride by the Missouri historical society. I was attracted to the title of this memoir because it explains how there is a light in every darkness. Her mom made it her priority to get her and her child out of slavery and even after their death’s these efforts have lived on.
The slave narrative, “Fifty Years in Chains: The Life of an American Slave,” is the story of Charles Ball, who was born on a tobacco plantation in Maryland. His tragic slave life started at the age of four when his family was sold away from him. He traveled from Maryland to Columbia, South Carolina barefoot and in chains. Sold in South Carolina, he ended up in Georgia working for an owner and subsequently the owner’s children. He eventually escaped from slavery, walked back to Maryland, and reunited with his wife and children, only to be recaptured. Determined to be free, he escaped once again. After his wife and children were sold into slavery, he returned to Pennsylvania to reduce his chance of being recaptured. This narrative made me sad and thankful that I did not have to endure such a life. The thought of being chained the way Ball was at only four years old and never getting to see my family again is so depressing. I am so thankful that our slave ancestors found a way to sacrifice and survive such horrible conditions so that I could have the life I have today.
I had the opportunity to read The Narrative of Phebe Ann Jacobs by T.C. Upham. Phebe Ann Jacobs was born a slave in Morris County, New Jersey. At an early age she worked as the attendant of her daughter Maria Malleville, who became the wife of the president of Bowdin College. Phebe was a content and happy person that was always worshiping and praising God in everything she did. Her love for God was profound that her friends, neighbors, church and even her pastor turned to her enlightenment. I enjoyed this story because even though Phebe was a slave she still kept her faith and made the best out of her situation. If a slave can be content with life everyone in this day and time should be able as well.
The slave narrative I read about was Henry “Box” Brown. Henry Brown was born a slave in Louisa County, Virginia. Henry Brown is very interesting to me because he had a very unique way of escaping slavery. Henry was treated very well compared to other slaves. Although he didn’t have it as hard as other African Americans Henry was determined to escape after his wife and children were seperated from him. He came up with the unusual idea to ship himself to freedom with the help of a storekeeper. Henry climbed in a three foot long and two feet wide wooden box. Although the box had ” This side up” instruction Henry found himself on his head often. The journey wasn’t safe but he made it Philadelphia to an anti-slavery society and gained his freedom
Martese Wilkins:
The slave narrative that I am doing is “The History of the Negro church” be Carter G. Woodson. Mr. Woodson shows the influence of the black church in America from colonial times through the early years of the twentieth century. Beginning with early church movements in the North and efforts to minister to slaves in the South, the book describes the origins of religious instruction for a race that characterizes as “neglected” among an unenlightened colonial population. Following the Civil War, the church took on a new, more important role in the black community. Church organizations and benefactors both domestic and foreign helped establish schools and churches to educate the newly freed blacks. This story was very interesting to me because I go to a Baptist Church and I was a good book that would give some enlighten on where my religion was first originated.
The name of my slave narrative is Emma J Crockett. She was born into slavery in 1837 in Alabama. Crockett’s narrative only talks about her childhood briefly and more of when she became free. Her freedom was given to her by her owners. Crockett really valued spiritual belief. She worked as a domestic to avoid being a burden to her family. Had five children and she attended school and took private lessons whenever possible. She graduated in 1865 and became principal of a youth school in 1869. In 1881 she married Old Henry Crockett and encountered an illness which ended her life. Her narrative was left brusquely. I thought this particular narrative was interesting because she didn’t describe much of her childhood, which makes me wonder how it was. Also, the fact because Crockett is a woman and she valued her education more than anything.
The slave narrative that I chose to write on was Peter Salem, an African American Soldier during the American Revolutionary War. Peter Salem was born in the 1750s in Framingham, Massachusetts. He was the slave of Jeremiah Belknap. However, Salem was later sold to Lawson Buckminster, who gave him his freedom. Another thought to how he gained his freedom is when he joined the Continental Army, it was given to him. Regardless of how he gained his freedom, on April 19th, 1775, Salem was present at the opening battle of the American Revolutionary War, also known as the Battle of Concord. He was said to have served in the war of the Revolution as waiter to Col. Thomas Nixon, of Framingham; and at the opening of the war was present at the battle of Bunker Hill. Salem is best known this fact and thought to have fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and is believed to have killed the first Englishman in the battle, Major John Pitcairn. Salem reenlisted in 1776, and fought again at the battles of Saratoga and Stony Point. After the war, he lived near Leicester, Massachusetts and married Katy Benson in September 1783. He died in the poor house at Framingham in 1816 at the age of 66. The reason I picked him is because there are only a few narratives from slaves that fought in the American Revolutionary War and even fewer references to the slaves that gave their lives so that this country could have its freedom.
The title of the slave narrative that I read is called, “Twelve Years a Slave:
Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York,
Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853“. I was very interested in this narrative because it is an autobiography. Northup was a free citizen in New York, New York and illegally kidnapped by two men. The two men knew Northup played the violin and they used that to their advantage. They tricked him into accompanying them to a “circus” where they would pay him to play. Since that day, Northup had been enslaved for twelve years. He eventually was rescued and reunited with his family.