To Be a Slave

Solomon Northup was born a free person of color in New York in 1807. He was kidnapped and enslaved for 12 years before he was rescued. After he was legally freed, he wrote a memoir of his experience titled Twelve Years a Slave. Northup’s story was widely publicized, and he became an American celebrity. Later in life, Northup helped other enslaved people escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Northup’s story inspired the 1980s docuseries Solomon Northup’s Odyssey and the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave.

Northup’s detailed memoir is an important primary historical source on the experiences of enslaved people. Northup’s story is included in To Be a Slave, and direct quotations from Northup are used frequently throughout the book.

Josiah Henson (1789-1883) was enslaved from infancy. He grew up “believing that while slavery was wrong, as a slave he had a responsibility to do his best work” (63). A skilled farmer and businessman, Henson ended up running the plantation he worked on, but he was so brainwashed by the system of slavery that he constantly sought his owner’s favor. When he was entrusted to transport other enslaved people to Kentucky, Henson was proud of the trust bestowed on him and even refused an opportunity to escape, viewing it as “stealing” from his owner.

Henson eventually changed his mind when his owner refused to free him even after he had purchased his freedom. He escaped with his family to Canada, and later, Henson helped bring other enslaved people to freedom and wrote a memoir of his experiences. In To Be a Slave, Henson’s story is significant because it demonstrates the degree to which some enslaved people were brainwashed by the rhetoric of slavery. His life story also became the basis for the character of Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s hugely successful book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States and one of the nation’s founding fathers. Ironically, “the author of America’s rhetoric of liberty” also penned one of the most eloquent, detailed articulations of Black “inferiority” and white “superiority” (57). Lester includes an extended quote from Thomas Jefferson in To Be a Slave as an example of the racial beliefs that permeated the system of slavery. Lester also includes details about the housing Jefferson provided for his own slaves. Although his cabins are favorably contrasted with George Washington’s, these details highlight the reality that many historical American heroes were slave owners.

George Washington (1732-1799) was the first president of the United States and one of the nation’s founding fathers. In To Be a Slave, Lester includes detailed descriptions of Washington’s slave quarters. The grim conditions of the homes were “typical” of many plantations and were described as “miserable” by a visiting Polish poet.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving as president until his assassination. Lincoln led the nation through the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. In January 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that all enslaved people were free. Although this declaration didn’t carry legal weight in the Southern states at the time, it inspired enslaved people throughout the South to claim their freedom. In To Be a Slave, some of the former slaves interviewed express the belief that history would have unfolded differently for African Americans if Lincoln had not been assassinated in 1865.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an American author and abolitionist. Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin described the experience of enslaved people at the time and powerfully influenced public opinion toward emancipation. Although slave holders criticized Stowe’s novel as unrealistic, it was based on facts gathered from enslaved people. The hero of the book, Uncle Tom, was based on Josiah Henson, an enslaved man who had escaped to freedom in Canada.

Stowe is widely applauded for her abolitionist efforts. However, in To Be a Slave, several quotes from former slaves express skepticism about her motives. One former slave, Thomas Hall, even declared: “Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I didn’t like her book and I hate her” (109). These quotes point out that Stowe herself benefited from the writing of the book; men like Josiah Henson, in contrast, never received any money from Stowe’s publishers. By including criticism of Stowe, Lester highlights the need for African Americans to share their own stories in their own way.