When I was a Slave-Part 1

Salam friends 😍 

So I started reading this book called 'When I was a Slave' tonight. Luckily, I found it at the Uni book store while I was searching for a totally different book. I KNOW, the coincidence! !! 

I will be sharing the highlights, or at least what I see as 'important'- of one slave's life as mentioned in this memoir.

1-Mary Anderson-Age:86 

"My name is Mary Anderson. I was born on a plantation near Franklinton, Wake County, North Carolina, May 10, 1851. I was a slave belonging to Sam Brodie, who iwned the plantation at this place."

"...There were about one hundred and sixty-two slaves on the plantation. Every Sunday morning all the children had to be bathed, dressed, and their combed, and carried down to Master's for breakfast.
It was a rule that all the little colored children eat at the Great House every Sunday morning in order that Master and Missus could watch them eat so they could know which ones were sickly and have them doctored."

"....He had four white overseers, but they were not allowed to whip a slave. if there was any whipping to be done he always said he would do it. He didn't believe in whipping, so when a slave got so bad he couldn't manage him, he sold him. .....they were unruly ones. Sometimes he would bring back slaves; once he brought back two boys and three girls from the slave market."

"..Master's children and the slave children played together. I went around with the baby girl Carrie to other plantations visiting. She taught mr how to talk low and hot to act in company. My association with white folks and my training while I was slave is why I talk like white folks." 

"...In a day or two everybody on the plantation seemed to be disturbed and Master and Missus were crying. Master ordered all the slaves to come to the Great House at nice o'clock..... Master and Missus came out on the porch and stood side by side. You could hear a pin drop everything was so quite. Then master said, "Good morning,"....they were both crying then Master said"Men, women, and children, you are free. You are no longer my slaves. The Yankees will soon be here." 

"..The slaves were awfully excited. The Yankees stayed there, cooked, ate, drank, and played music until about night........
When they left the county, lot of the slaves went with them and soon there were none of the Masrter's slaves left. They wandered around for a year from place to place, fed and working most of the time at some other slave owner's plantation and getting more homesick every day. ..."

"..When they got back Marster would say, "well, you have come back, have you? " and the Negros would say, "Yes, Marster".

Most all spoke of them as "Missus' and "Marster" as they did before the surrender, and getting back home was the greatest pleasure of all. 

Excerpts from "When I Was a Slave"

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