Austin Steward''s recollections of life as a slave in the State of New York in the early 1800s are an important contribution to the limited autobiographical literature of Black History. Published in 1856, when Steward was the leader of the Wilberforce Colony in Canada, the book was a limited commercial success, but it drew great attention to the plight of southern slaves and northern freemen at a time when the nation was deeply divided over the "peculiar institution."This masterfully crafted eBook is a faithful presentation of the original first edition, including the original illustrations. It is fully-searchable and fully-printable. (196pp, 1.59 Mb)
Contents
I. - SLAVE LIFE ON THE PLANTATION
II. - AT THE GREAT HOUSE
III. - HORSE-RACING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
IV. - JOURNEY TO OUR NEW HOME IN NEW YORK
V. - INCIDENTS AT SODUS
VI. - REMOVAL FROM SODUS TO BATH
VII. - DUELING
VIII. - HORSE-RACING AND GENERAL TRAINING
IX. - DEATH-BED AND BRIDAL SCENES
X. - HIRED OUT TO A NEW MASTER
XI. - THOUGHTS ON FREEDOM
XII. - CAPTAIN HELMDIVORCEKIDNAPPING
XIII. - LOCATE IN THE VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER
XIV. - INCIDENTS IN ROCHESTER AND VICINITY
XV. - SAD REVERSES CAPTAIN HELM
XVI. - BRITISH EMANCIPATION OF SLAVERY
XVII. - ORATIONTERMINATION OF SLAVERY IN THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS
XVIII. - CONDITION OF FREE COLORED PEOPLE
XIX. - PERSECUTION OF THE COLORED PEOPLE
XX. - REMOVAL TO CANADA
XXI. - ROUGHING IT IN THE WILDS OF CANADA
XXII. - NARROW ESCAPE OF A SMUGGLER
XXIII. - NARRATIVE OF TWO FUGITIVES FROM VIRGINIA
XXIV. - PLEASANT RE-UNION OF OLD AND TRIED FRIENDS
XXV. - PRIVATE LOSSES AND PRIVATE DIFFICULTIES
XXVI. - INCIDENTS AND PECULIARITIES OF THE INDIANS
XXVII. - OUR DIFFICULTIES WITH ISRAEL LEWIS
XXVIII. - DESPERATION OF A FUGITIVE SLAVE
XXIX. - A NARROW ESCAPE FROM MY ENEMIES
XXX. - DEATH OF B. - PAUL AND RETURN OF HIS BROTHER
XXXI. - MY FAMILY RETURN TO ROCHESTER
XXXII. - THE LAND AGENT AND THE SQUATTER
XXXIII. - CHARACTER AND DEATH OF ISRAEL LEWIS
XXXIV. - MY RETURN TO ROCHESTER
XXXV. - BISHOP BROWNDEATH OF MY DAUGHTER
XXXVI. - CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST OF AUGUST
XXXVII. - CONCLUSION
CORRESPONDENCE