Slave Narrative That Sat And Work On Plantation

Definition of slavery: Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation. Slavery predates written records, has existed in many cultures and in some historical situations it has been legal for owners to kill slaves (Wikipedia.org).

I honestly feel bad for the African American people who were treated so poorly and were abused day and night. I never would've survived such a harsh life. I couldn't even imagine myself being in there positions. I am truly thankful that they have paved the way for us to be here today. Every time I think about the lives of those who were slaves it makes me want to cry because it just wasn't right. I'm truly sorry that they were treated with such cruelty.

Most African American people don't do a lot of research on their history, so that don't really know too much about the lives of many slaves many years ago. They also don't know how many of our people we're abused to the point we're they in critical condition. Their not that often informed about what a lot of people went through just for all of us to be here today, but that's exactly why I'm here, I'm here so that you know exactly what it is that I'm talking about.

Elizabeth Keckley also referred to as Lizzie; was born 1818. Lizzie didn't have a formal education. Elizabeth had magnificent skills as a seamstress that she got from her mother. She was property of Colonel Burwell and had begun doing work at the age of four. Colonel Burwell's wife had giving birth to a baby girl; it was Elizabeth's duty to take care of the baby. Elizabeth was only a child herself and she was already giving a huge responsibility of caring for her master's child. When Elizabeth was 14 years old she was sent to work for her master's son, who was a Presbyterian minister in Virginia. In 1836 her new master moved to a church in North Carolina, Elizabeth said that the salary was extremely small.

Elizabeth was later sold to another man who lived in St. Louis Missouri. When Elizabeth was twenty one years old she became a mother of a white man's baby. Elizabeth didn't want a child at the time because she didn't want her baby to be born into such a cruel life style. But she had no choice but to care for her son.

In 1855 Elizabeth had finally saved enough money to buy herself freedom. She married a man named James Keckley, but as a result to his alcoholism and laziness; she then moved to Washington where she worked as a dressmaker for the wife of Abraham Lincoln.

In 1868 she published her autobiography, Thirty Years a Slave. Elizabeth Keckley, who served as president of the Contraband Relief Association, died in 1907.

(www.Spartacus.schoolnet.com//)

Charles Ball, a slave from Maryland, he was born in about 1780. Charles's grandfather was brought from America and was sold as a slave. His mother was a slave of a tobacco planter. When the planter died when Charles was only for years old, his family were sold separately, with his mother going to Georgia and since Charles mother had several kids, they were all sold to separate purchasers. Out of all of Charles's mother's children, he was the only one who was left in Maryland. Charles didn't have in clothes, his master had giving him a child's frock which belonged to one of his children. When Charles mother had seen him leaving her for the last time, ran after him, took him and clasped him in her arms, and wept loudly and bitterly over her precious child.

When Charles was about 12 years old his master Jack Cox died. Ball was sorry for the death of his master, he felt as though his master didn't deserve to die. Soon afterward, his master's father had become the administrator of his estate and took possession of his property. His new master treated him delightfully and all he asked was for Charles to be a hard worker.

In 1805 Ball was allowed to marry, and he married a girl with color, her name was Judah, She was a slave of a gentleman by the name of Symmes. Charles was later sold to a cotton plantation owner in South Carolina while his wife and children remained in Maryland. Ball sometimes though about committing suicide. He said he would have hung himself on the account of him being away from his wife and kids. Ball made several attempts to escape but was captured and became another mans slave Georgia.

Ball had managed to escape once more and this time he reached Pennsylvania. Later Ball managed to get back to his previous family in Maryland but only to find out that his wife and children were now sold to different man. His family was passed into hopeless bondage and was out of his reach forever. Charles had been advertised as a fugitive slave; he could have been arrested or even dragged back to Georgia. Charles left home as quickly as possible and headed back to Pennsylvania with a broken heart. With help from Isaac Fisher and a white lawyer, Charles had written his autobiography "The Life and Adventures of Charles Ball". His autobiography included the following passage "For the last few years, I have resided about fifty miles from Philadelphia, where I expect to pass the evening of my life, in working hard for my subsistence, without the least hope of ever again seeing, my wife and children: - fearful, at this day, to let my place of residence be known, lest even