There are many fascinating stories of men, women, and children who lived at least part of their lives as slaves. In America, we tend to think of enslaved blacks before the Civil War. However, there have been slaves all over the world, many of whom influenced history. Reading slavery biography is a good way to learn world history, as well as appreciate the nature of people denied freedom.
Many sites are devoted to keeping the memory of famous slaves alive. Often we know of these 'hidden' people through their own words, either spoken or written. Sometimes their history is recorded in newspapers or in the words of others who were their contemporaries. Scholars have long loved to piece together the life stories of people which illustrate dramatic events in the past.
Many famous people from ancient times were in fact slaves. Aesop, whose fables have been part of western education for centuries, was a slave. Spartacus, a gladiator, was a slave who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Empire. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was enslaved as a boy. He escaped back to England but later returned to convert the Irish to Christianity (and to fight a dragon).
Moses, who led the descendants of Abraham out of Egyptian slavery and who wrote much of the bible, was born a slave. He was raised as a son in Pharaoh's household, but later escaped arrest for murder by fleeing to the wilderness, where he became a shepherd. When he returned, he freed his people under God's direction. Moses' biography is the Bible.
The internet is a great resource for brief accounts of famous slaves. If more in-depth study is desired, the sites can point you toward autobiographies, news reports, contemporary mentions, or entire biographies. Many slaves are known by their own writings or speeches, some by their actions during war time, and some by notorious trials.
Notorious trials have involved slaves. Margaret Garner and her husband and family tried to escape to the north, but they were tracked down. Before the arresting party could stop her, this woman killed her baby daughter and wounded her other children, trying to kill them, too, rather than have them returned to slavery. A youngster named Celia was tried for the murder of her master; the teenager was rebelling against repeated sexual abuse. Dred Scott sued for his and his family's freedom. All of these trials highlighted the horrors of the slave system.
There are books based on true events that tell of settlers along the frontier captured and enslaved by Indians. Ann Calhoun was a white girl captured by the Cherokee at age 4 who spent three years as a slave, being fairly kindly treated. Tales of dramatic escapes and harrowing rescues are part of American folklore and history.
To really understand the plight - and the bravery - of enslaved peoples, read their personal accounts. Many blacks were uneducated - teaching them to read and write was against the law - so they are remembered for their words. A famous speech by Sojourner Truth, a former New York slave, entitled 'Ain't I A Woman?' has been immortalized in prose and a film. Frederick Douglas escaped slavery in Maryland to become a prominent abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman in Massachusetts. He fought for an end to slavery, rights for women, and better treatment for Irish immigrants.
Many sites are devoted to keeping the memory of famous slaves alive. Often we know of these 'hidden' people through their own words, either spoken or written. Sometimes their history is recorded in newspapers or in the words of others who were their contemporaries. Scholars have long loved to piece together the life stories of people which illustrate dramatic events in the past.
Many famous people from ancient times were in fact slaves. Aesop, whose fables have been part of western education for centuries, was a slave. Spartacus, a gladiator, was a slave who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Empire. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was enslaved as a boy. He escaped back to England but later returned to convert the Irish to Christianity (and to fight a dragon).
Moses, who led the descendants of Abraham out of Egyptian slavery and who wrote much of the bible, was born a slave. He was raised as a son in Pharaoh's household, but later escaped arrest for murder by fleeing to the wilderness, where he became a shepherd. When he returned, he freed his people under God's direction. Moses' biography is the Bible.
The internet is a great resource for brief accounts of famous slaves. If more in-depth study is desired, the sites can point you toward autobiographies, news reports, contemporary mentions, or entire biographies. Many slaves are known by their own writings or speeches, some by their actions during war time, and some by notorious trials.
Notorious trials have involved slaves. Margaret Garner and her husband and family tried to escape to the north, but they were tracked down. Before the arresting party could stop her, this woman killed her baby daughter and wounded her other children, trying to kill them, too, rather than have them returned to slavery. A youngster named Celia was tried for the murder of her master; the teenager was rebelling against repeated sexual abuse. Dred Scott sued for his and his family's freedom. All of these trials highlighted the horrors of the slave system.
There are books based on true events that tell of settlers along the frontier captured and enslaved by Indians. Ann Calhoun was a white girl captured by the Cherokee at age 4 who spent three years as a slave, being fairly kindly treated. Tales of dramatic escapes and harrowing rescues are part of American folklore and history.
To really understand the plight - and the bravery - of enslaved peoples, read their personal accounts. Many blacks were uneducated - teaching them to read and write was against the law - so they are remembered for their words. A famous speech by Sojourner Truth, a former New York slave, entitled 'Ain't I A Woman?' has been immortalized in prose and a film. Frederick Douglas escaped slavery in Maryland to become a prominent abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman in Massachusetts. He fought for an end to slavery, rights for women, and better treatment for Irish immigrants.
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