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.
I read the slave narrative ” Henry Box Brown who escaped slavery enclosed in a box 3 feet long and 2 feet wide” written by himself and remarks from Charles Stearns.
I chose this narrative because it told a different side of slavery written by a slave who descried his life as not that difficult. Henry “Box” Brown said he did not undergo any harsh and extreme conditions. His master never whipped him or starved from the lack of food. He recants of the times on the plantation and what he had witnessed. He tells of the kindness and generosity of some non-slave owners. He also told of how he was confined in a box for a long time and yet he still looked on the positive side of things.
Shatondra Caldwell
I picked the slave narrative Amanda Smith the Colored Evangelist. This autobiography is the story about Amanda and her journey around the world preaching her faith. So many people were touched by her words and her wonderful singing voice. But there were other people who slandered her and in magazines and newspapers alike but, it seemed to make more popular and spiritual. This awesome woman of God taught the word not only in cities and towns in America but around the world including India. Amanda Smith’s story was interesting to me because she was not just a woman breaking new ground for slaves but she was an African American woman who taught the word of God.
Jacoby Anderson
I chose William J. Anderson, b. 1811 , simply because he have my last name . and that he was a smart individual . was born to a free mother and slave father in Hanover County, Virginia in 1811. his mother eventually had to give him away to a slave owner and from there he was sent to endure slave auctions . and from there he convertly taught himself to read and write . so he used that as an advantage because he wrote himself a pass which helped him to escape from the slave owner to become a free man . and he later gotten married and now own 3 farms and a buisness in madison city .
and its real interesting to me because being smart ( able to read and write) can take you so far and reading this narrative proves it .
Madison D. Robertson
My Bondage and My Freedom. Part I. Life as a Slave. Part II. Life as a Freeman
This is Frederick Douglass’ second autobiography. My Bondage and My Freedom begins with his birth in Tuckahoe, Maryland. Douglass remembers his grandmother, Betsey Bailey. He describes life in Baltimore with his new master, Hugh Auld, a ship carpenter and brother of Thomas Auld. When Hugh Auld discovers that his wife, Sophia, is teaching Douglass to read, he insists that she stop immediately. While laboring in a Baltimore shipyard as a hired laborer, Douglass is savagely beaten and nearly killed by four white ship carpenters. However, the job allowed Douglass to save some money, finally enabling him to make his escape in September 1838. Douglass’s plan to start a newspaper after returning to the United States, which he realizes with the help of his friends in England despite some unexpected resistance from his abolitionist friends in Boston.
Why the narrative was interesting to me…
I thought it was interesting that he had this much knowledge to write his own autobiography. I also thought his story was interesting because he taught himself how to read. He was one out of many slaves that was able to gain knowledge throughout his years as a slave.
Raven-Symone Washington
My narrative was about Charles Ball who had gotten married in Maryland as a slave but was then traded to Georgia to the owner’s son. Ball couldn’t handle the unbearable so he escaped and walked from Georgia to Maryland to be with his wife. Given advice of his wife’s owners, Ball hired himself out for wages. Ball was still a fugitive slave and he escaped notice for a long time and managed to save enough money to buy a farm near Baltimore. After his wife died, Ball remarried and 14 years later he was returned back to slavery, but escaped slavery again. Although Ball’s new wife and children were legally freed slaves, they had been sold into slavery. Even though Charles Ball knew about his family being sold into slavery, he still went to Pennsylvania to minimize the chances of himself being recaptured.
This narrative was interesting to me because I wasn’t sure how a legally freed family could be sold into slavery because of another human beings escape. I also realized how much some slaves didn’t really care about their families just about being a free person.
I read Amanda Smith’s, “An Autobiography: The Story of the Lord’s Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith, the Colored Evangelist”. Ms. Smith was voice and words were an inspiration to thousands of women. During the 1870s Ms. Smith began preaching leading to her becoming a popular speak amongst both black and white audiences. To be able to travel the world, gain followers from different nationalities, and having no backing from no organization is truly amazing. She was not ordained or given financial support by the AME church or any other organization. Despite no support from any organization she became the first black woman to serve as an international evangelist. That fact alone is something to be proud about especially as an African-American.
I chose to read the slave narrative “Incidents Connected with the Life of Selim Aga, a Native of Central Africa”, which told the story of Selim Aga, a slave who was taken from his home in Tegla, Africa when he was eight years old. Selim Aga was taken to be a slave in Egypt, and then sold to a British Consul who took him to work in England. Selim Aga was one of the lucky slaves because his owners treated him well and even educated him by teaching him how to read and write. Although he was taken from his home and his family, he was still one of the lucky ones because most slaves were treated horribly, from being beaten to whipped to killed. This is why his story interested me. Selim Aga even dedicated his autobiography to the woman who taught him everything in his “home” and he tells tales of how he loved his adopted country. It’s weird that 98% of the time when we hear about slaves it’s all bad, horrible stories, but this story was different.
Madison D. Robertson
Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter
Josephine Brown was born in 1839 in Buffalo, New York. After her parents separated in 1847, Josephine and her sister attended a boarding school in New Bedford, Massachusetts, while their father traveled on the lecture circuit. During the summer of 1851, Brown brought his daughters to join him in London and then enrolled them in a seminary in Calais, France. Josephine explains that she began her narrative while at school in France. Brown’s 1847 autobiography had gone out of print by 1855. What I founded interesting about this narrative was that she was an educated black woman that was able to write her own autobiography.
Jahna Johnson
Slave narrative, Isaac Johnson was born in Kentucky, 1844. He was separated from his parents and siblings at the age of 7. His father Richard Yeager sold his wife and children to other masters, where Isaac was soon separated. He tried to escape twice, but did not achieve. He finally became free during the Civil War, by running away. He became married to Theodocia Allen with seven children. He never saw his mother or siblings again. He sadly dies in New York of a heart attack in December 1905.
The reason I picked him was because reading the short summary about how his father sold not only the children, but the mother as well. I thought that was so careless for him to do that, but also interesting to write about.
Annie L. Burton’s Memories of Childhood Slavery Days
Annie L. Burton is a woman who grew up through slavery and was still merely a teenager when she was free. Her narrative talks about her childhood being a slave. Her mother was a house slave and was raped by her master [meaning that Annie would be half black and half white] Annie’s mistress was friends with her mother as a child so she let Annie grow up in the main house with all of the other kids. When Annie was twelve, she and her family was freed and she escaped her mistress to stay with her mother who made do for her until Annie was adopted by a rich white lady named Ms Mary who taught her how to read and write. I found this narrative interesting because it’s mainly about someone’s childhood and I always like to know what someone’s childhood is like. On top of that, once I started reading it I couldnt take my eyes off of it.
The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, Virginian as my chosen selection. Nat Turner led a rebellion killing white people because he thought he was a prophet who had gotten a message from above to kill white people. He went on his massacre with his followers and with a series of essays called “Walkers Appeal.” David Walker was a free slave; The appeal was basically a series of essays saying that slaves needed to revolt and “kill or be killed.” I thought this essay was interesting because I had no idea that slaves actually had justification for their revolts.
Tiana Turner
I chose to read and analyze “The Light and Truth of Slavery.
Aaron’s History.” It is an interesting selection in that the former slave, Aaron who classifies himself as a “poor way-faring Bondman” preaching to several churches in the North. Furthering my reading I discover that Aaron is against abolishing slavery which one would find very odd because slavery is not something that anyone would be okay with enduring, let alone being a former slave deny others the hope and opportunity in earning their freedom and obtaining some form of rights. Aaron believed that it would create a form of financial aid to the South if slavery were abolished. It is noted that throughout the piece Aaron is very knowledgeable about the Bible even though during slavery many slaves could not and were prohibited to read. However, it is also noted that many slaves taught themselves otherwise or were taught such skills by those who were equipped with literacy. I found this piece thrilling because it challenges the mind in how bad slavery was and how immoral it is. Although some would say that it was effective in the development of this country, I believe that there were better ways, less intense and cruel ways to develop America. Reading the article reminded me that slaves were some of the strongest people to ever set foot in American soil. Society today does not endure half of the hard labor, the stresses, the pressure of accountability as the slaves did. People of today are more self-centered, selfish, and lazy. This narrative made me appreciate all the pain that my ancestors went through so that I could be here today typing and developing skills of empathy, understanding, and critical thinking.
Born in West Virginia in 1850, Jared Maurice Arter was the son of two slave parents. After the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, Arter and his family moved to Washington, D. C. Jared and his brother enrolled in Storer College in 1873 and Jared continued on to Pennsylvania State College in 1879. Arter paused his education to teach for two years and then went to Hillsdale College where he graduated in 1885. Jared became a pastor after being ordained and taught at Storer College for several years. As a teacher, pastor, and school administrator, Jared found work at many institutions in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Jared Arter’s hard work and commitment to education proves that knowledge opens many doors for everyone, including the socially disabled. Despite his illness, he was still able to influence and inspire people of all walks of life.
The slave I chose for my topic of research was Sally Hemings. I chose this specific female because I was very interested in finding out the history of her past. Sally Hemings was a slave born in Virginia and owned by Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States. Over time, Jefferson’s wife passed away, leaving his daughters with just a father. While Sally Hemings was his property, she became pregnant but had no evidence of being with another male. Some, to this day, rumor about her having children by her master. Pictured of Sally Hemings’ offspring’s also resemble that of Thomas Jefferson. Some even say they became a couple. I found this to be very interesting and realized that her bibliography interested me the most.
The person I decided to do my slave narrative on is Amanda Smith. Amanda Smith is the daughter of two slave parents from Long Green, Maryland. When she was a child, her father worked up enough money to purchase their freedom and moved the family to Pennsylvania. When Amanda converted to Christianity she began preaching her word to Blacks and Whites. I chose Amanda Smith because when you hear stories about free slaves, you typically hear about men. I find it fascinating that she was able to reach every audience using the word of God.
John Brown
When deciding on a person to research for the slave narrative I came across the name John Brown, I thought on the white abolitionist who led the Pottawatomie Massacre in “Bleeding Kansas“. However, as I sought deeper into my research I discovered that this was another john brown a former slave otherwise known as “Fed“. Born into slavery he was the grandson of a African man stolen from his native land and forced into slavery in the Americas. His story reveals the many inhumanities of slavery and world wide abolitionist movements to end it.
Shavon Caldwell
The slave narrative that I choose was Andy J. Anderson. Anderson was born a slave in Williamson, Texas. Andy was known as Andy Haley but after his freedom, he changed his name to Anderson, the name his father used because he was owned by a Mr. Anderson before his sale to Mr. Haley. The reason I chose this slave narrative is because I want to really interpret and feel and see how slaves were treated and how much courage and tenacity they had to have to get through those slavery times.