An Eyewitness History of Slavery in America

This volume presents facts of slavery, from the early slave trade in Africa through the end of slavery in the United States. Narrative sections in each chapter explore key aspects of slavery, including the crowded slave ships that transported Africans along the triangular trade routes to America, slave auctions, life and labour on a plantation, escape attempts and insurrection, and eventual emancipation. The book also includes firsthand accounts of the era - from diary entries, letters, speeches, and newspaper accounts - that illustrate how historical events appeared to those who lived through them. Excerpts from critical documents, such as the 1672 charter of the Royal African Company, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Thirteenth Amendment, as well as brief biographies of over 100 key figures, chronicles of events, and a comprehensive bibliography offer readers a complete overview of the experiences of enslaved peoples. Among the eyewitness testimonies included are those from: Benjamin Franklin; Abraham Lincoln; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; and Nat Turner.