Showing results by narrator "Rodney Louis Tompkins" in All Categories

Josiah Henson (1789-1883) was born into slavery in Charles County, Maryland. He and his family escaped slavery in a long walk from Kentucky to Ohio. They were helped by Native Americans in the Ohio wilderness and sympathetic boatmen who carry them across Lake Erie to Buffalo, New York. In Canada, Henson organized the Afro-Canadian community and became involved in projects that emphasized independence from white patronage.

The autobiography of Louis Hughes serves as a window on the daily lives of slaves before and during the Civil War. Born into slavery near Charlottesville, Virginia in 1832, the narrative charts his life through Pontotoc, Mississippi to Memphis where he met his wife Matilda Morgan, to Tombigbee, Alabama and escape from slavery in Mississippi in 1865. Hughes provides unique historical insight into slavery in the Confederacy during the Civil War and concludes with the family living as free people in Milwaukee.

The Narrative of James Roberts indicates that he was born in 1753 in Maryland in a state of slavery. He accompanied his master in the Revolutionary War and also fought in the War of 1812 under General Jackson. Roberts eventually obtained his freedom and devoted his life to the struggle to end slavery.

Robinson, one of 12 children of a slave family, grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, and this account encompasses his life story from his earliest childhood recollections to his position as minister in the 1890s. The audiobook contains poignant descriptions of the resilience of slaves under the inhumanity of slaveholders.

The author was born a slave on a plantation near Wilmington, North Carolina. He discusses the religious meetings he conducted as a slave near Wilmington, including encounters with patrols that attempted to prevent such meetings, and instances of benign social interaction between the races. This 1885 edition of Thomas H Jones's expanded 1862 edition of his memoir includes an addendum on his ministry during slavery and on his experiences as a minister on the abolitionist lecture circuit.

This autobiography of Friday Jones, Days of Bondage, is a slave narrative with a strong theme of overcoming diversity through spiritual growth. The nonlinear narrative consists of a series of episodes, many of which are harrowing in their cruelty. Ultimately, however, Days of Bondage is a moving text and a testament to the power of resilience.

Charles Ball’s book (1836) was written with the help of a lawyer, Isaac Fischer. He recounts his experiences as a slave, including descriptions of the harsh and inhumane conditions under which he lived. He also points out how his well-being depended on the temperament of his slave masters.

Booker T. Washington’s 1901 autobiography can be read as a redemption story echoing many similar voices of its time. Starting from the humiliation he experienced as a slave, he ponders the meaning of identity in a situation that seeks to dehumanize. He furthers his story by expanding on his difficulties in obtaining an education and the need for change in our minds as well as societal structures.

William Whipper (1837) felt strongly that change could be brought through model behavior and an appeal to human rationality. Non-violence was the answer for this activist. In this letter, he addresses the president arguing that non-resistance is the way to peace in the nation.

Self-taught slave and underground railroad worker James Williams' memoir of his escape, time during the Gold Rush, and observations of the world around him. He starts with his birth and then escape - feeling the pull of the California Gold Rush. In these few pages, James gives a fascinating account of the people he met and events he witnessed.

Paul Jennings, a slave of James Madison's, recounts his experiences with the man. He provides insights into his relationship with President Madison, including the kindness he showed him. Jennings lived in the White House and was with President Madison until the day of his death.

Daniel A. Payne went down in history as a supporter of the education and liberation of African Americans as well as the first black man selected to lead a college. First published in the Lutheran Herald, his oration supporting the abolition of slavery unites a religious stance with a social criticism. Payne’s words describe slavery as the great oppressor, detaching man from his divinity and lowering him to the level of brutes.

Langston delivers this speech at his old alma mater in 1874, touching on the topic of slavery in the United States. He addresses the president and friends on how the colored American has risen from being treated like a beast to an enfranchised man. His view is that the land is no longer ravaged by hate, but breeds a fraternal appreciation.

Charles Lenox Remond calls for the dissolution of the Union in this 1844 speech. He argues that Northern states should leave the Union to cut off support for slavery from the North. He presses that the only response left to the government was the threat of leaving.

John Edward Bruce gives this speech on the birth of the "Loyal Order of the Sons of Africa"; a society for colored men who have greviences against the white race. He urges them to organize and fight for the equal rights they deserve.

Abolitionist Reverand Thomas S. Wright addresses the president in this letter circa 1837. He declares that colored men are still discriminated against not only in the churches but also in jobs. Truly, people of color were not slaves in the North, but they were not free either.

This speech was delivered by Reverand Garnet in 1865 to commemorate the adoption of the 13th Amendment. He discusses slavery and how it has clouded his view since early childhood. His comparison of slavery to that of a demon is powerful, moving, and blunt.

Samuel Davis remarks in his opening statement that this is the happiest period in his history. He discusses the elevation of the colored man and to do everything they can to advance their freedoms. Davis notes that they have petitioned over and over to no avail, but that they must persist to see results.

Reverand Campbell delivers an exhilarating speech on the unfair treatment of the African American man in the United States military. The pay was so drastically different between the white and African American soldiers that Campbell felt the need to pressure Congress into passing a bill that equalized pay.