Narrative of My Escape from Slavery

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This book is about a slave with a half-white mother and a white father. He was born in North Carolina and missed death in the first few days of his life. His mother’s mistress wanted to kill him because he was the son of his mother’s slave master. She went to his mother’s room at night with a knife but his Grandmother saved his life. Not to long after that he and his mother were sold.

When he was about six or seven years old his mothers old master died which lead to all the saves being divided between the children. He was sent to his father’s wife’s brother-in-law; this separated him from his mother. The way they were divided was that different names of the slave’s were written on a piece of paper and put into a box. Then the children would all draw from the box and see whom they get.

He was then sent hundreds of miles away from his mother to the southern states of America. He caused this being sold to a negro trader. The Trader, Mr. Mitchell, was selling a lot of slaves on the way down south but found it hard to sell him. He was a lot whiter then the other slaves which was a problem. This resulted to him being sent to Mr. Seed who he stayed with for a year. He also had a hard time selling him.

He was finally sold to a man named Dr. Jones who was a Doctor and Cotton Planter. He was taught to mix medicines and sent to the cotton plantation. He also did work in the doctor’s home. A few months after he was then sold to a man named Mr. Smith. He was then about twelve years old. For the next eight years he would be sold to many different traders in many different places.

After many trades, a man named Mr. Gooch who lived in Cashaw County, South Carolina, now owned him. HE was immediately set to the cotton plantation to work. Mr. Gooch gave him bread and meat for allowance. That still wasn’t half enough for him to live on. He was giving hard labor with made him think of his fellow-slaves. HE became tired of the work and tried to run away. He was caught by a trader and set to Lancaster Gaol. Here slaves advertise for their masters to own them.

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