The Everyday Lives of Slaves
By Jack Baker, Antonio Battaglia and Sarah Campbell
Exclusive
Interview with a
Runway!
The Story of a Fellow
Abolitionist,
Harriet Tubman
By Emily Carrabba
and Adam Scully
Slavery in the United States is horrible. Slaves work very hard
from morning to night and barely get any breaks. The slaves have
difficult everyday lives for many reasons. First, their living
conditions are not good. Also, they don’t have much food or
clothing. Lastly, they have horrible working conditions. This
column will explain more about some of the harsh conditions that
slaves live through every day.
Slaves work for very long periods of time during any given day,
except for Sunday. However, it doesn’t get any easier when they
are finally able to go to their homes. The homes, or quarters as slave
masters call them, are awful places to live. In these cabins, slaves
do everything such as eating, sleeping, and most importantly,
spending time together. The quarter’s layout consists of one or two
rooms that can hold up to a family of twelve slaves. They do not
have any comfort as there are dirt floors, one very small window
with no glass, and a very thin mattress to sleep on, if they are lucky.
A former slave confirmed these conditions, “The softest couches in
the world are not to be found in the log mansion for the slaves. The
one whereon I reclined year after year was a plank twelve inches
wide and ten feet long. My pillow was a stick of wood. The bedding
was a coarse blanket and not a rag or shred beside.” Simply, the
quarters where slaves live are just as poor as their working
conditions. Another abolitionist described their living conditions:
Continued on the next page
Underground Times: Can you
tell me a little about yourself?
Harriet Tubman: I was born
around 1820 but my parents
could not write and my masters
did not find it important to write
about when I was born so I do
not know my exact birthday. I
do know that we lived
on Edward Brodas’ plantation
near
Dorchester
County,
Maryland. My parents’ names
are Ben and Harriet. Yes I have
the same name as my mother. I
was born with the name
Aramita but after an incident
when I was 13, everyone said I
had earned my adult name,
Harriet.
UT: I’ve noticed a scar on
your face. If it is not rude,
may I ask how you got it?
HT: It’s fine to ask, as a matter
of fact, it has to do with the
incident I mentioned just now. I
got it when a slave escaped. An
overseer tried to catch him. I
stepped in between the overseer
and the slave. When he threw a
2lb iron at the slave, I was in
the way and the iron hit me.
My parents thought I would die
from the injury. It gave me the
scar and it also makes me fall a
sleep at random times. Doctors
tell me it is called epilepsy.
Continued on the next page
Continued… Everyday Lives
“We entered some Negroes’ huts, for their habitations cannot be
called houses. They are far more miserable than the poorest of the
cottages of our peasants. The husband and his wife sleep on a
miserable bed, the children on the floor. A very poor chimney, a
little kitchen furniture stands amid this misery - a teakettle and
cups.”
Clothing for slaves is very scarce. Slave owners give out one
outfit a year for Christmas and the clothes have to last the whole
year. During the hot summer months, slaves wear long shirts and
no shoes. Shoes are saved for when the winter comes. Slave
children don’t get shoes until the age of ten because slave owners
believe that they don’t need shoes until they start field work at that
age. The former slave also told us this: “Our clothes were made of
tow [hard flax] cloth; for the children nothing but a shirt.” Elder
slaves that are too old to do much work don’t get coats or warm
layers for the winter. The rare slave who is given socks is
considered lucky. Slaves get very small rations of food. In harvest
seasons they might get food for three small meals and in the winter
enough for two smaller meals. As another former slave explained
to us: “In ordinary times we had two regular meals in a day:
breakfast at twelve o’clock, after laboring from daylight.”
Some of the typical meals slaves prepare for themselves are
cornmeal mush with molasses and bacon. Other things they make
are ash cakes, cornmeal mixed with water that is cooked in an open
fire. Before eaten, the ashes are scraped off the food. It is Sunday
tradition to have some special foods for dinner. For example, if
your owner is nice, you might have a small vegetable garden, and
he might give you lard and scraps of other leftovers that he does not
want.
Slave work is brutal and extremely hard. Slaves are pushed way
past their limits in the field. Slaves work where ever work needs to
be done, such as factories, shops and worst of all on the plantations.
They also build things like bridges, railroads, and even canals. No
work is considered too hard. Slaves who work on plantations work
from sun rise to sun set without many breaks. If they slow down or
take a break they are harshly beaten. As one slave told his brave
story one quote stood out to me. He said “It was rare that a day
passed without one or more whippings. This occurred at the time
the cotton was weighed.” This quote shows how brutal the masters
were and they did not care about anything but the money they could
make off the crops. All field slaves are forced to work in every type
of weather no matter how harsh.
It is clear that slavery is immoral! Most slaves do not have
enough clothing to wear or food to eat. They are given one or two
pairs of clothing and one pair of shoes a year. They are weakened
from their hard lives and their spirits broken. They have to work
for many hours during the day, leaving little leisure time when they
make it back to their quarters. It is a miracle that slaves survive
alive considering all of these unfavorable conditions against them.
Continued… Harriet
Tubman Interview
UT: Did anyone else come
with you when you first
escaped?
Answer: No, two of my
brothers tried to escape but they
ran back so they would not get
caught. I have a big family
though; I was one of 11 kids. I
have two parents. I miss them
very much. It’s horrible that
they are still stuck in slavery.
Someday I will return to rescue
them as well.
UT: So I heard you were
married when you escaped.
Did your husband come with
you or did he stay in
Maryland?
HT: His name is John Tubman
and he is a free man. Even
thought I married him I was not
free. When I heard I was
gowning to be sold, I decided to
escape. He didn’t want me to
leave but I escaped anyway. I
have not seen him in a while. I
tried to convince him to come
with me but he thought it was a
bad idea. He would not feel the
same way if he had to be a
slave.
UT: What made you finally
decide to leave when you did?
HT: I left because I was going
to be sold to the Deep South. I
figured that if I was going to be
away from my family, I might
as well try to escape. I always
dreamt of freedom. Also I heard
of a rumor that I might have to
join a chain gang. I was afraid
that I would fall asleep and be
whipped or beaten to death.
Continued on last page
Arts and Culture
For many the thought of slave culture might be considered un-appealing, however we at the Underground
Times disagree! We recomemnd you look at their artistic values becasue they are clever and interesting.
Freedom Through Art
By Olivia Ciantro
Freedom. I know what it feels like, but so
many others don't. The slaves are as human as I
am. We breathe the same air and share the same
earth, and yet they are kicked to the ground.
Among the many risky things slaves do to try and
gain their freedom, quilting is one of the most
interesting. The way this leisure activity came to
include secret codes and a new way to
communicate is a fascinating story.
In Africa, the once free people quilted, but it
wasn't for the same purpose as some do today.
African men usually quilted and made textiles. It
was not until they were brought to America that
the task fell to the females. Many of the quilt
patterns have African roots, and slaves brought
those patterns with them here to America. In
Africa, quilts were often used to tell a family’s
story and history. They were meant to be hung up
for other people to enjoy, not to be used for
secretly communicating to try and save lives like
here in America.
The salves’ quilts are useful in more than one
sense. Plantation owners don’t give the slaves
blankets even on the coldest of days, so slaves
save scraps of cloth to quilt together blankets for
warmth. But they also can have another practical
use and another meaning. They are another way
to communicate! The quilts are hung up where
other slaves passing buy can see them, but luckily
the owners never seem to suspect anything! One
of the ways they don't raise any suspicion is
through what appears to be just simple stitching
in the quilts. Different patterns can mean one of
two different things: a warning to other slaves
that they need to escape or clues and directions
for an escape journey.
Since there are so many different patterns with
so many different meanings, in some
communities young slaves learn to memorize
codes including the meaning of these patterns.
These patterns can be the gateway to freedom for
these slaves! There are a couple famous and
more common patterns like the North Star which
is often used to tell the slaves to prepare to
escape. Another one is flying geese, suggesting
that it is the time to follow the geese that are
migrating north for the summer.
These patterns and quilts are extremely
important. It bothers me and a lot of other
abolitionists that slaves have to go to such
extremes just to gain freedom. They are human
beings too. They have imaginations and all these
creative ideas, but instead of doing it for fun they
have to use it to try and gain their freedom. We
are all human, no one is less than another.
Sweet Grass Basket Weaving
By Peter Klesaris
Among slaves working in the fields, basket
weaving with sweet grass is a common thing to
do. Enslaved women weave these for many
purposes, such as holding clothes or sewing
materials, or carrying food and other things while
traveling. One of the reasons people use sweet
grass rather than other plants is it does not burn, it
only smolders. It is also very common down in
the slave states.
There are many techniques with which to
weave a basket. One such technique is to coil the
grass into a fanner. A fanner is an almost flattened
basket used for tossing hulls in the air to separate
the chaffs from the rice. Freed slaves can sell
these baskets easily, as they cost nothing to make
but time. Basket weaving is an interesting cultural
craft carried down from slave’s African ancestors.
The Music of Slavery
By Ennis Price
Let us delve in to our first genre of slave
music, the work song. Work songs are sung in the
fields. Many times work songs have a call out and
response. This is a classic style of song you might
recognize from many nursery rhymes but it
actually has Afrcian roots. It engages everyone in
the song. Work songs are not only limited to just
this style; some have the more classical verse,
chorus, verse structure.
The next genre is the religious song. Religious
songs are used in the slave communities to keep
the slaves confident and proud in themselves.
This is also an interesting topic due to the fact
that some slave owners would have their own
ministers run slave churches to keep the slaves
inline. Slaves then re-conceptualized the bible
into stories of freedom. For instance, Exodus is a
bible story slaves will often take and use to
encourage themselves to fight against this
constitutional wrong doing. Many of the bible
influenced songs sung by slaves focus on
liberation themes.
The third genre is recreational. Recreational
songs are very similar to religious songs in that
these songs have very similar themes of freedom
and hope. Recreational songs are more complex
than the field songs due to the use of instruments
like violins and drums as well as other forms of
percussiion. There are very few things to cover in
this category but don't let that change your view
of this genre of slave music, this genre is the most
inspiring of all slave songs with themes
hihglighting the horrors of slavery and the need
for freedom.
This concludes our article on slave
music. We hope that we have persuaded you to
look at slave music with new eyes and open
hearts.
Religion
By Max Lockhart
In the early days of slavery, many ancestors of
our slaves today were stolen from Africa and sold
to American slave holders. Even though the
slaves were captured they still had religion. Like
any captured people they have lost a lot of their
traditions over the decades, including their
African based religions. They have, however,
held onto the joyous singing and dancing of their
African religious customs.
In their first decades in America, many slave
holders made the slaves go to Christian churches
every Sunday to pray and meet with others. They
thought the slaves would become more obedient.
Whites were instead shocked by the enthusiasm
of the slaves. It seems they strongly connected to
some Christian ideas like salvation! Those ideas
and their own spiritual roots combined into joyful
responses whites were not used to hearing in their
churches. In church, slaves were watched by
slave holders and other whites. Slaves have made
their own “invisible” church which brings the
equality and freedom messages of Christianity
and their African customs together. This
“invisible” church is used during wedding
ceremonies as well as secret gatherings away
from their white masters.
Sadly whites tell the slaves that God thinks
you are less than them because of the color of
their skin, but luckily slaves have resisted this
idea! One slave put it well when he said: “The
blessed god of youth and joy is mightier than
slavery!”
Slavery is unfair and has even tried to control
the slave’s religion as well. But their religion has
instead kept them together and strong. Slaves
have kept their religion in a new way. Some
traditions were lost but then they found new ones.
Overall religion is not lost to the slaves, it is just
changed. According to them God, would not
separate men because of the color of their skin
and they celebrate this idea joyfully! We at the
Underground Times salute their religious beliefs
and hope they will some day be free to celebrate
them anyway they want!
Leisure Time
By Sam Kleinick
Slaves only have free time on Saturday nights
and Sundays. Since they have such little free
time, they cherish that time as much as possible.
They do things like socialize and follow old
traditions. They also gather together to do things
like go to church, shuck corn, hunt, fish, go to
Congo Square and have quilting bees. Congo
Square is a public space in New Orleans where
hundreds of slaves may gather together to sing
and dance. Free people even come to hear the
music and watch.
Corn shucking is a social event that turns work
into fun. The corn is piled as high as a house.
The men then husk the ears and throw them over
their shoulders filling the air like birds. Just
getting the removed husks out of the way is a lot
of work! Sometimes women quilt while the men
shuck corn. Quilting bees are a rare time when
slave women can work and socialize. They use
the beautiful quilts that they make mostly for
bedding; which they badly need When the sewing
is done, the men join them for a quiting feast.
Underground Times Special Section:
The Sanctioned Horror of the Auction Block!
Dear Editor,
I would be most grateful if you would write
about the misery slaves go through while being
auctioned. I know because it happened to me.
I was a slave once, but now am free. When I
was being sold, my own child was separated from
me. To make matters worse, my child’s new
owner whipped her worse than people whip their
mules. When I tried to chase after my child, my
sister held me back for she knew I might be killed
if I tried to interfere. My child was sold to the
deep south where slavery is even worse! I never
saw her again.
When it was my turn to be sold I was bid for
by so many strange people. One white man even
came up to me and kicked me to see how strong I
was. It was so scary to be treated like that.
Luckily I got my freedom but so many others are
still treated this way. I hope what I have told you
will in some way help to end slavery.
From,
Anna Beth Foster
Editor’s note:
This sad letter inspired us to do a special section
on the horrors of the auction block. We too hope
it will help end slavery and the cruel forced
separation of families. – Dylan Cunningham
A Sorrowful Interview
By Mercedes Mackie
I am interviewing a former slave who experienced
the Auction Block. (The slave’s name is being
withheld to protect her identity.) This interview
includes information about how the slaves
reacted to being bought, how they felt when they
were resold after their owners died, and how sad
it was to be sold away from their families. We
warn our readers, it is troubling subject matter.
Underground Times: How did it feel to stand on
the stage and be sold?
Former Slave: It felt bad standin’ on that stage ,
but I was standin’ by my momma, papa, an sista .
As dem people are starin’ at ya an lookin’ at ya
body and seein’ if you is worthy and a good
worker.
UT: Were you afraid of being sold away from
your parents?
Former Slave : I think er’body was fraid that
they gonna be sold away from dere parents at the
time.
Continued on the next page
Immorality of the Slave Trade
By Thomas Sanford
In the south, slaves are sold as causally as a
northerner would sell a pig. They heartlessly sell
apart families and separate them by hundreds of
miles. Most children are taken from their parents
at the age of ten, and forced to change their last
name. They cage them like cattle and brand them
with lashes. In the south, black people are not
even thought of as human.
While in the south, one visitor, J. K.
Spaulding, wrote about seeing: "a little cart drawn
by one horse, in which five or six half naked
black children were tumbled like pigs together...
Behind the cart marched three black women, with
head, neck and breasts uncovered, and without
shoes or stockings; next came three men,
bareheaded, half naked, and chained together with
an ox-chain."
Often being sold is used as a punishment,
sending the disobedient slave into the Deep South
where the work is much harder, and the chances
of escaping minimal. The journey is almost
always torturous, and many slaves die between
the time they are bought and sold.
The southerners are showing no sign that they
are going to stop separating families and caging
black people. Despite the obvious immorality,
they still cannot comprehend the sin in their ways.
I fear that there is only one thing that can amend
their transgressions against humanity. I call upon
all southerners with any decency to aid all
runaway slaves, and I call upon all politicians to
use there authority to stop slavery. However, I
fear that the only way to stop slavery is war.
Continued… Sorrowful Interview
Because parents was the only ones that time that
was dere that ya knew and maybe the rest passed
away when you was comin to the place were dey
sold yah.
UT: Did you ever get sold away from your
parents?
Former Slave: I did get sold away from ma
parents because I was old enough to work by ma
self an’ to take care my self. My new masters
also hoped that someday I was to be married an
have children.
UT: What age were you sold away from your
parents?
Former Slave: I was sold frum ma parents at the
age of 13 an my sister was sold at the age of 6.
But we had some visitin’ days with mamma and
papa when they come to see us on Sundays.
UT: Did you ever return to your mother and
father?
Former slave: I neva went back with ma parents
and I don’t know what happen to them since the
las time I saw ‘em. Maybe they died from
beatings by their master for leavin’ the plantation
to see me an ma sista.
UT: Were you afraid of being beaten by your
master?
Former Slave: Yes, I was cuz er’body say the
whip hurt an he neva gave anyone a chance. I’ve
been hit once and it hurt a lot.
UT: Did your master ever say he was going to set
you free when he died?
Former Slave: No, he just gave me to his wife
who sent me off to their son.
Family life and Children
By Yasmin Antmann and Rachel Blackman
The life of a slave family is brutal. The
emotional and physical pain they go though is
very difficult and at times deadly. The kids have
no childhoods; they go straight to work as soon as
they are able to. Their parents try to raise them to
the best of their ability but at times the owners
will split them up; this is the biggest threat for a
family.
Despite the owner’s power over slave children,
parents still teach them invaluable lessons. When
the children are young they are taught how to
work and survive as a slave. Perhaps the most
important rule they are taught is to never talk
about what is said or done in the slave quarters
outside the quarters, especially to the slave
owners. If they do, the owners might find out
about any escape plans. Some owners try to offer
children treats to act like spies! Luckily, most
children know that to be a slave means you must
help each other survive the horrors of slavery by
sticking together.
If families are broken up the children generally
live with their mothers. After the age of ten it is
legal to sell children away from their families. If a
father is separated from the family he sometimes
travels far to see his family and he has to get
permission from the master. If the master does not
give permission, he can be severely punished but
it’s worth it to see family.
Once enslaved children are nine or ten years
old they start working in the fields with all of the
other slaves. They do not do easy work; they
work as intensely as any adult. Also, at this time
in their life a slave child might get his or her first
pair of shoes to wear. Typically children in the
fields pick cotton and harvest crops each day
except Sunday.
UT: I know it must have been hard to be sold
around to different people. When they thought of
you as their property, how did it feel?
Former Slave: It felt like you was a piece of
furniture and people just used you for there own
personal benefit. Think bout it, think bout bein’
bought by a man that cares nothin’ bout ya and
just wants ya to work.
UT: I know there were some terrible slave
masters. How did some slaves react when being
sold to cruel masters?
Former Slave: Yes, many people did react, even
me. One time when I was being sold, I told the
man “Judge Miller! Don’t you bid me, ‘cause if
you do, I would cut my own throat from ear to ear
before I would be owned by you.”
UT: It must have taken a great deal of courage to
say that. Thank you for sharing your painful
story with us.
Article continued on last page
Continued… Family life and Children
Slave families have no legal protection. On the
other hand their owners allow them to “marry”
and encourage it because they believe that
married slaves are less likely to run away. Also
they will most likely have children and that
means more workers for the owners. Even though
slaves are not officially married, they still have
ceremonies. Like all people, they want to
celebrate their love and family bonds.
The struggling lives of a slave family are
terrible. Imagine someone just tearing your family
apart. When being sold, often the mothers are torn
apart from children, and husbands away from
their wives.
The following quotes were taken down during
an undercover investigation by the Underground
Times at a plantation in the Deep South. (The
names of the slaves are being kept a secret to
protect their identities.)
“My brothers and sisters were bid off first, and
one by one while my mother, paralyzed with
grief, held me by the hand. Her turn came and she
was bought by Isaac Riley of Montgomery
County. Then I was offered. My mother, half
distracted by the thought of parting forever from
all her children, pushed through the crowd while
the bidding for me was going on, to the spot
where Riley was standing. She fell at his feet, and
clung to his knees entreating him to let her keep
her little ones. He disengaged himself from her
with violent blows and kicks. I must have been
then between five and six years old.”
“Everybody in the villages came outespecially the wives and sweethearts and mothersto see their sold off children for the last time.
And when they start the chain and clanking and
step off down the line, they all just sing and shout
and make all the noises they can, trying to hide
the sorrow in their hearts and cover up the cries
and moaning of them they were leaving behind.
Oh, Lord!”
It is probably the most painful moment of their
lives when loved ones are taken away.
Continued… Harriet Tubman
UT: What was your trip like coming up north?
HT: Well you see see when I was younger my
father told me all about how to find the North
star, and how the moss on the tree only grows on
the north side. I heard many stories of people
running. I figured I wanted to try to be free. As I
said earlier, I tried going with two of my brothers
but they got scared and made us go back. I tried
hard to get someone to go with me and when no
one would go, I was upset. I remembered a
Quaker woman who used to speak to me and I
fled to her house. She gave me great advice and
information on how do get north. She told me
things like walk during the night and about fellow
abolitionists who could help me along they way.
UT: Will you go back?
HT: I feel like I have to. All of my family and
friends are back in the south. I will hopefully go
back many times to save just my family and to
save the many others who have to go though what
I did. I crossed the Mason Dixon line, but there
were still problems. I had crossed the line, I was
free; but there was no one to welcome me to the
land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange
land. I will do everything I can do to get more
people out of slavery, even if it means that I have
to run with the Underground Railroad all the way
up to Canada.
A note from the interviewers, Emily Carrabba
and Adam Scully: Harriet was a great lady to
interview. She has escaped this horrible thing that
is happening in our great nation. We have
learned she will risk it all for others because she
knows the pain that they have gone though.
Slavery is wrong and should be abolished.
Harriet knows this and will help forever to end
slavery. We support her and are proud to bring
you this interview!
Weekly Advice for the Run Away
By Jacob Clements, Jonathan Lee and Chase Rosato
The Underground Times is an anti-slavery
newspaper. We work against slavery and try to
abolish it. We also help slaves escape. One way The
Underground Times helps slaves escape is by giving
advice about running away. This advice includes
reasons to run, ways to prevent capture and
information on Underground Railroad routes.
Slaves can help each other in many ways. A
slave that can write can forge a document so a slave can
go visit a family member that lives far away. Slaves
can also help other slaves by working on the
Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman is a run away
slave that was helped by the Underground Railroad. An
escaped slave can draw a map or go back to help
fellow slaves escape. Slaves also can help an escaped
slave by bringing them food.
There are many reasons to run away. One reason
is because your owner may be hurting you or you are
being underfed and half staved to death; these are
reasons to escape! Slaves should run away if they
are being overworked. If you find out you are about
to be sold, we recommend running away. Many
slaves have also run away because a family member
or members are going to be sold. We have also met
slaves who escaped since he or she wasn't allowed
to marry their love.
There are many dangers in running away. Being
caught is the main danger. Slaves can also starve to
death in swamps and other places with few people to
help them. There is a long way to go and you can get
lost. There are also many penalties for running away
if caught, including whipping or death. Some slaves
have even died of exhaustion. Despite all of these
risks, you should still try to be free.
There are many ways to prevent capture. Slaves
can dress in the opposite sex’s dress and use it as a
disguise. You can try bribing people to take you
north, but make sure they are not slave catchers or
people who support slavery! To stop dogs from
finding your scent, you can rub hot pepper or onions
on your shoes. Slaves can also walk in creeks to get
rid of their scent. Most importantly, seek out the
Underground Railroad to escape.
The Underground Railroad is operating and
helping slaves become free men and women. If you
don't know the routes or can't find others on it, look
for the North Star, a star that always points the way
north. Following this star will lead to freedom. Also,
different houses will give slaves safety while
running away; these are called stations on the
Underground Railroad. If the owner of the house is
kind enough, they will let you stay there till the next
group comes along and you can join them in the
journey north. Once you've crossed the Mason
Dixon line you are free, but remember that slave
hunters will be on your tail the whole time.
Abolitionists and freed slaves will help along the way
too. With their help and your determination, you can
be free too!
Newsflash!
The Underground Times has
just learned that Congress
has
passed
the
Fugitive
Slave
Law!
You
are
no
longer
safe
above
the
Mason-Dixon Line! You must
now
go
to
Canada
or
Mexico! Good luck!
The North Star
Founder Inspires
Underground Times
Readers!
(As told to Leo Hurley)
I, Fredrick Douglas, will tell my story in my
own words to support the countless efforts of
others like the readers of the Underground Times
to free slaves. I would like to also inspire my
fellow run-aways and former slaves with my
experience and some advice.
I was born in a slave cabin in February 1818
on a plantation in Maryland. When I turned eight
I was sent to the city of Baltimore to be a house
boy for Hugh and Sophia Auld, relatives of my
master. My mistress taught me the alphabet. I
loved reading and writing but my master did not
think that blacks should read or write and forbid
my being taught to do so. It was too late - I had
developed a love of learning. I also knew at that
moment that to keep me from learning was wrong
and therefor slavery was wrong! I vowed to be
free one day. When I turned thirteen I purchased
a book named The Colombian Orator. It was a
popular school book at the time and it taught me
the power of words.
When I turned fifteen I was returned to the
plantation to work as a field hand. That’s when I
encountered my new master, Eward Covey who
was known as a slave breaker. It was during one
of my whippings from him that I finally had
enough. I fought back for two hours. After two
hours he gave up and he said to me that he would
quit treating me so badly. I was lucky because
other slaves had been whipped badly or even
killed for such resistance. I knew I had to leave
so at the age of twenty-one I escaped from
slavery and went to New York. I had disguised
myself as a seaman. From there with the help of
the Underground Railroad, I went to New
Bedford, Massachusetts where I eventually got
married and had five children.
In October 1841, I attended a conference of the
Anti-Slavery Society on Nantucket Island and
found that I could speak and reason well in
public. I began my life’s work as an abolitionist
and I established the North Star newspaper on
December 3, 1847 in Rochester NY and
developed it into the most influential black
antislavery news paper of our time. Thousands of
people read it in the United States, Europe, and
the West Indies.
My three keys of success are believe in
yourself, take advantage of every opportunity, and
use the power of spoken and written language.
What is possible for me is possible for you. I was
a slave and I became a leader. This means that no
matter how far down you are you can still crawl
to the top and do anything that your heart desires.
There is one last thing that I want to tell you.
When I was growing up on the plantation my
mother was taken away from me and I had to
fight to have a good life without her. I got to
have a family and five kids and unlike my mother
who could not watch me grow up, my children
are with me. So, in closing, I want to tell you to
get a good job, a job you will now be paid for.
Enjoy your family knowing you don’t have to
worry about being sold away form each other.
Without a family you would be alone with no
love. That's how I grew up but no more mothers
and children should have to go through that
experience.
Underground Times
artwork and
photography credit:
William Gough