Twenty-Two Years a Slave: And Forty Years a Freeman --- the Amazing Story of the Life of Austin Steward --...
- ISBN-10
- 1523846976
- ISBN-13
- 9781523846979
- Pages
- 296
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2016-02-03
- Author
- Austin Steward
Description
This is the incredible autobiography of Austin Steward, a man born into slavery and who spent his entire early life in bondage -- and then the rest of it as a free man (or as free as any African-American could truly by in 19th Century America. This was written before the Civil War --- so it is a unique look at life before freedom for most slaves was even a dream.PASSAGES FROM TWENTY-TWO YEARS A SLAVE:The usual mode of punishing the poor slaves was, to make them take off their clothes to the bare back, and then tie their hands before them with a rope, pass the end of the rope over a beam, and draw them up till they stood on the tips of their toes. Sometimes they tied their legs together and placed a rail between. Thus prepared, the overseer proceeded to punish the poor, helpless victim. Thirty-nine was the number of lashes ordinarily inflicted for the most trifling offence....I slept in the same room with my master and mistress. This room was elegantly furnished with damask curtains, mahogany bedstead of the most expensive kind, and every thing else about it was of the most costly kind. And while Mr. and Mrs. Helm reposed on their bed of down, with a cloud of lace floating over them, like some Eastern Prince, with their slaves to fan them while they slept, and to tremble when they awoke, I always slept upon the floor, without a pillow or even a blanket, but, like a dog, lay down anywhere I could find a place.....I watched him attentively, as I walked to and fro on the same deck, and could clearly discover that some fearful conflict was taking place in his mind; but as I afterwards repassed him he looked up with a happy, patient smile, that lighted up his whole countenance, which seemed to say plainly, I see a way of escape, and have decided on my course of action. His whole appearance was changed; his heart that before had beat so wildly was quiet now as the broad bosom of the Hudson, and he gazed alter me with a look of calm deliberation, indicative of a settled, but desperate purpose. I walked hastily forward and turned around, when, Oh, my God! what a sight was there! Holding still the dripping knife, with which he had cut his throat! and while his life-blood oozed from the gaping wound and flowed over his tattered garments to the deck, the same exultant smile beamed on his ghastly features!
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2020-07-02
- 168 pages
- Paperback
- Independently Published
-
- 2020-07-02
- 168 pages
- Paperback
- Independently Published
Similar books
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave, Forty Years a Freeman
By Austin StewardThe book offers insight into the creation of African American community life in upstate New York and into the doomed black utopia of Wilberforce.
-
Twenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition)
By Austin StewardTwenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition)
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave - And Forty Years a Freeman
By Austin StewardAustin Steward (1793–1869) was an African-American author and abolitionist.
-
Twenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (Volume 1 of 2 ) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition)
By Austin StewardTwenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (Volume 1 of 2 ) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition)
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman
By Austin StewardTwenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman: Embracing a Correspondence of Several Years, While President of Wilberforce Colony,...
By Austin StewardThis work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations.
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman: Embracing a Correspondence of Several Years, While President If Wilberforce Golony,...
By Austin StewardAbout the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work.
-
Twenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (Volume 2 of 2 ) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition)
By Austin StewardTwenty-Two Years A Slave, and Forty Years A Freeman (Volume 2 of 2 ) (EasyRead Super Large 24pt Edition)
-
Twenty-two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman: Embracing a Correspondence of Several Years While President of Wilberforce Colony,...
By Austin StewardMany works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.
-
Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman Embracing a Correspondence of Several Years, While President of Wilberforce Colony,...
By Steward AustinUnlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there...