The Life of a Slave Taylor Loftin March 22, 2013 http://www.historyguy.com/civilwar/slavery Taylor K. Loftin Mrs. Ighade English 102-002, Essay 4 12 May 2013 Slavery has been around since before the 1400’s, but it was not until 1619 when slaves were brought to North America. The slaves were first brought to Jamestown, Virginia and then to other states throughout the country. These slaves had many jobs from small to large. Most of the slaves work on the plantations picking cotton, taking care of animals, and taking excellent care of the crops. Some slave owners were not nice to their slaves.
He only came out to hunt, and when a farmer named Benjamin Phipps found Nat he brought him into town. Nat was put in trial, convicted and sentenced to death. He held his head high until the end and stuck with his conviction that the killing was a message from God. He was executed on November 11, 1831 in Jerusalem, Virginia. Nat Turner’s rebellion shook the south.
Throughout her life she faced many challenges such as being a slave and facing stereotypical comments and situations, and financial difficulties. People said since she was a slave she couldn’t do excellent things like other people. Powers did end up as a free woman and although she didn’t own any property, she had $300 to her name when she passed. Harriet married her husband at the age of 18 and had nine children with him. Jane Stickle was born in Vermont.
The slaves that were being interviewed had various answers about whether or not they had hard times back then. Sarah Sexton, for example, served her master in Arkansas while lived in a very tough life. Her owner did not offer
Most slaves did not know much, if anything, of their birth. As a young child, Frederick Douglass knew very little about his slave mother. She lived on another plantation and died when he was around 7 years old (Biography, 2014). His father was an unknown white man, possibly a slave master (Noll, p.76). Douglass lived with his grandmother, Betsy Baily
I think the plot or lesson that the stories are trying to get across is that slavery was an extremely horrible thing. We are very lucky that slavery isn't around as much as it used to because all people are created equally, and everyone has their own rights. The part of the book that I found interesting was a story about a man after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed. Just for your information, the Emancipation Proclamation was a document that stated that
Greeley opposed slavery as morally deficient and economically regressive, and during the 1850s, he supported the movement to prevent its extension. Harriet Jacobs became a voice during this time for those brothers and sisters still enslaved. Her message in the North, was for them to stand against such inhumanity with larger numbers and greater voices, what she attempted to do with her pen. As a black man, I was moved by Ms. Jacob’s narrative. The idea of not being able to protect my mother or sisters from this horrendous treatment, gave thought to the slave men and their inability to stand up for those who I am sure, were precious to them…as mine are me today.
Despite the harsh reality of slavery in America, African American slaves found ways to cope with their reality on plantation. African American Slaves were exploited when it came to work on plantation. For the household slaves, they had to cook, clean, serve, be a wet-nurse and also be available for the masters at all time, even if it was in the middle of the night. As for the slaves who work in the crops, they were obligated to work before sunrise until sunset, reaching up to eighteen hours work. During those hours they had a break at noon for two hours, one for lunch and the other one for resting.
Their main concern was to reach freedom as quickly as possible so they could feel safe again. Harriet Tubman was one brave black woman who resisted slavery. She was born into slavery and named Araminta Ross. She later took her mother’s first name, Harriet. She grew up in slavery, performing various task such as a field hand, a nurse, a cook, a maid, and a woodcutter.
Most slaves had very poor and rough living conditions. The slaves’ homes were often very small cabins. Some cabins were already provided by the owners, which was something for the slaves to be grateful for. A small amount of owners did not provide cabins, and the slaves had to make their own. In some cabins, up to ten slaves