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 was born a slave in ancient Egypt, although he was raised in Pharoah's household. He discovered he was a Hebrew, defended one of his people against an Egyptian overseer (unfortunately killing the man) and ran away to a far country. God called him back to the country of his enslavement to free his people and lead them to the Promised Land. We have his biography - some of it written by him - in 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.
Sometimes it will be a trial that attracts attention, like the famous Dred Scott case. Other famous trials were of Margaret Garner, who killed her daughter rather than see her returned to slavery, and a teen-aged girl named Celia, who killed her master. There are many cases of slaves fighting their return to former masters - and many more that were unrecorded, since slaves had no rights in many courts.
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 was born a slave in ancient Egypt, although he was raised in Pharoah's household. He discovered he was a Hebrew, defended one of his people against an Egyptian overseer (unfortunately killing the man) and ran away to a far country. God called him back to the country of his enslavement to free his people and lead them to the Promised Land. We have his biography - some of it written by him - in 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.
Sometimes it will be a trial that attracts attention, like the famous Dred Scott case. Other famous trials were of Margaret Garner, who killed her daughter rather than see her returned to slavery, and a teen-aged girl named Celia, who killed her master. There are many cases of slaves fighting their return to former masters - and many more that were unrecorded, since slaves had no rights in many courts.
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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