When writing about any historic period, it can often be difficult. Nothing could be more true than when writing a slavery biography. For, while there have been a number of letters found which were written by slaves, only a few actual biographical stories exist. As a result, there are only a few of these stories which are now referenced when teaching or studying the time period.
The biography was published in 1875 and is often used by professors and scholars when studying or teaching on the topic. In the book, the Reverend explains the time and experiences as a young boy in detail. In fact, the book has often been referred to as being as close to the text of a witness that one could get in what is only a few documented experiences provided directly by anyone from the period.
Born in Atala County, Mississippi, Charles relates a number of experiences which occurred after his owner Mr. Kirkwood passed away when the boy was only 9 years old. As an owner of multiple plantations, it was feared by other plantation owners that the slaves would escape or rebel. As such, the boy reports that the slaves were separated from families and sold on the open market.
After the mother of the boy died at age 37, an uncle hid from slave owners in order to remain with a wife. In fact, Ben, the uncle, evaded the blood hounds and slave owners. While this is the case, Ben ultimately surrendered when the man was informed that the couple could remain together and work on a different plantation. At which time, Charles describes becoming an adult, then being hired out to other owners while attempting to teach Christianity to other slaves.
In order to gain insight to the life and times of the uncle and the author, there are a few movies and a mini-series which reflect the incidents in great detail. The first, and most likely the most infamous is that of Roots, a mini-series which aired in the 1970s. More recently, Twelve Years A Slave and Django Unchained have portrayed the atrocities and incidents of the time on a personal basis.
In most cases, during the slave trade, slaves were considered personal property who could be owned, sold and traded by plantation owners and slave masters. While entire families may have been sold into the system, many were later sold separately and families destroyed. Whereas, those whom refused to do assigned chores, attempted to escape or rebelled, were often punished severely.
Many young mothers at the time had babies taken from their arms so the mothers could be sold to work on plantations and cotton picking farms. In almost all cases, those mothers never saw the babies again. For, most often, the babies were sold to wives of plantation owners whom either wanted and could not have children, or to work as servants once old enough to do so.
One of the saddest aspects of slavery is that of rape. For, there were numerous owners who would take female and male slaves at will for sexual gratification. In fact, there are a number of descendants of slaves now living whom are children, grandchildren and great grandchildren which have no idea of how the line started.
The biography was published in 1875 and is often used by professors and scholars when studying or teaching on the topic. In the book, the Reverend explains the time and experiences as a young boy in detail. In fact, the book has often been referred to as being as close to the text of a witness that one could get in what is only a few documented experiences provided directly by anyone from the period.
Born in Atala County, Mississippi, Charles relates a number of experiences which occurred after his owner Mr. Kirkwood passed away when the boy was only 9 years old. As an owner of multiple plantations, it was feared by other plantation owners that the slaves would escape or rebel. As such, the boy reports that the slaves were separated from families and sold on the open market.
After the mother of the boy died at age 37, an uncle hid from slave owners in order to remain with a wife. In fact, Ben, the uncle, evaded the blood hounds and slave owners. While this is the case, Ben ultimately surrendered when the man was informed that the couple could remain together and work on a different plantation. At which time, Charles describes becoming an adult, then being hired out to other owners while attempting to teach Christianity to other slaves.
In order to gain insight to the life and times of the uncle and the author, there are a few movies and a mini-series which reflect the incidents in great detail. The first, and most likely the most infamous is that of Roots, a mini-series which aired in the 1970s. More recently, Twelve Years A Slave and Django Unchained have portrayed the atrocities and incidents of the time on a personal basis.
In most cases, during the slave trade, slaves were considered personal property who could be owned, sold and traded by plantation owners and slave masters. While entire families may have been sold into the system, many were later sold separately and families destroyed. Whereas, those whom refused to do assigned chores, attempted to escape or rebelled, were often punished severely.
Many young mothers at the time had babies taken from their arms so the mothers could be sold to work on plantations and cotton picking farms. In almost all cases, those mothers never saw the babies again. For, most often, the babies were sold to wives of plantation owners whom either wanted and could not have children, or to work as servants once old enough to do so.
One of the saddest aspects of slavery is that of rape. For, there were numerous owners who would take female and male slaves at will for sexual gratification. In fact, there are a number of descendants of slaves now living whom are children, grandchildren and great grandchildren which have no idea of how the line started.
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