Reflections on Slavery Individuals Born Into and Gew Up...

This essay will summarize and reflect upon 5 individuals who were born into, and grew up in the United States of America under slavery. Lucinda Davis, Charity Anderson, Walter Calloway, Fountain Hughes and Richard Toley each have a compelling story to tell about the time when black Americans were not looked at as citizens and were not free to make decisions that were afforded to white Americans. Although their stories are brief and do not reflect all of the daily hardships that were faced by slaves during that time in our Nation’s history, they are, nonetheless, powerful in their message. Fearing above all else a beating that would result from a perceived act of disrespect, the fact that each of these individuals survived is an example†¦show more content†¦Mr. Calloway, similar to Charity Anderson, indicates a real respect for his master in that he was treated fairly, fed well and allowed to pray back in the bushes even though the work was hard and punishment was n ot uncommon. It seems to be a running theme that most of these narratives signify a mutual respect for their owners for not being worse than they could have been to the slaves. (Rawick) This sentiment is eluded by Richard Toler when he talks of not ever being mistreated by his master and even going so far as to tell his overseers that, â€Å" if they whipped him, he’d kill ‘em.† (Rawick) This was apparently not the norm for the rest of the slaves on this farm near Lynchburg, Virginia. Mr. Toler talks a great deal about other slaves being beaten and brutally tortured and abused. According to Mr. Toler, the slave owners did try to take care of their slaves by giving medicine and feeding them well as to protect their property. It was more of a financial investment than an act of kindness however and he talks of never having any good times until he was a freed slave. Lastly we hear from Fountain Hughes; a slave in Charlottesville, Virginia who claims to be the grandson of the slave gardener of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Hughes was born into slavery with his brother and mother. He worked on a farm and had not home; he talks of sleeping on a wooded pallet on worse, a dirt