There are many fascinating stories of men, women, and children who lived at least part of their lives as slaves. In America, we tend to think of enslaved blacks before the Civil War. However, there have been slaves all over the world, many of whom influenced history. Reading slavery biography is a good way to learn world history, as well as appreciate the nature of people denied freedom.
Many sites are devoted to keeping the memory of famous slaves alive. Often we know of these 'hidden' people through their own words, either spoken or written. Sometimes their history is recorded in newspapers or in the words of others who were their contemporaries. Scholars have long loved to piece together the life stories of people which illustrate dramatic events in the past.
In ancient Greece, Aesop, who wrote the celebrated Fables, was a slave. A renowned gladiator named Spartacus led his fellow slaves in an unsuccessful uprising against their Roman masters. Patrick, an English boy, was captured by raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland. He escaped back to England, returned to Ireland as a missionary, famously defeated a dragon, and became the country's patron saint.
One of the most famous 'out of slavery' stories is that of Moses, who ran away from a privileged position in Egypt after defending a fellow Hebrew by killing an Egyptian overseer. He returned years later to lead his people out of their enslavement. One biographical account of this famous prophet is the Bible, much of which he is believed to have written.
It's easy to search online for brief accounts of slaves that have impacted history. After reading the short biographical notes online, those who want more information can look for autobiographies, collections of letters, or records of speeches that may have brought the person into prominence.
Notorious trials have involved slaves. Margaret Garner and her husband and family tried to escape to the north, but they were tracked down. Before the arresting party could stop her, this woman killed her baby daughter and wounded her other children, trying to kill them, too, rather than have them returned to slavery. A youngster named Celia was tried for the murder of her master; the teenager was rebelling against repeated sexual abuse. Dred Scott sued for his and his family's freedom. All of these trials highlighted the horrors of the slave system.
Not all slaves were black. Some early European explorers were enslaved by indigenous peoples. Many women and children were captured and enslaved by American Indians on the frontier. Ann Calhoun was captured at age 4 and rescued at age 7. The history of the West is full of harrowing tales of escape and rescue; John Wayne is our poster child for these heroic deeds.
Speeches like Sojourner Truth's dramatic and poignant 'Ain't I A Woman' - the basis for a book and later a movie - as well as autobiographies and biographies make history come alive. Start with the writings of Frederick Douglas, an escaped slave who fought for women's rights and fair treatment of immigrants as well as for an end to slavery.
Many sites are devoted to keeping the memory of famous slaves alive. Often we know of these 'hidden' people through their own words, either spoken or written. Sometimes their history is recorded in newspapers or in the words of others who were their contemporaries. Scholars have long loved to piece together the life stories of people which illustrate dramatic events in the past.
In ancient Greece, Aesop, who wrote the celebrated Fables, was a slave. A renowned gladiator named Spartacus led his fellow slaves in an unsuccessful uprising against their Roman masters. Patrick, an English boy, was captured by raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland. He escaped back to England, returned to Ireland as a missionary, famously defeated a dragon, and became the country's patron saint.
One of the most famous 'out of slavery' stories is that of Moses, who ran away from a privileged position in Egypt after defending a fellow Hebrew by killing an Egyptian overseer. He returned years later to lead his people out of their enslavement. One biographical account of this famous prophet is the Bible, much of which he is believed to have written.
It's easy to search online for brief accounts of slaves that have impacted history. After reading the short biographical notes online, those who want more information can look for autobiographies, collections of letters, or records of speeches that may have brought the person into prominence.
Notorious trials have involved slaves. Margaret Garner and her husband and family tried to escape to the north, but they were tracked down. Before the arresting party could stop her, this woman killed her baby daughter and wounded her other children, trying to kill them, too, rather than have them returned to slavery. A youngster named Celia was tried for the murder of her master; the teenager was rebelling against repeated sexual abuse. Dred Scott sued for his and his family's freedom. All of these trials highlighted the horrors of the slave system.
Not all slaves were black. Some early European explorers were enslaved by indigenous peoples. Many women and children were captured and enslaved by American Indians on the frontier. Ann Calhoun was captured at age 4 and rescued at age 7. The history of the West is full of harrowing tales of escape and rescue; John Wayne is our poster child for these heroic deeds.
Speeches like Sojourner Truth's dramatic and poignant 'Ain't I A Woman' - the basis for a book and later a movie - as well as autobiographies and biographies make history come alive. Start with the writings of Frederick Douglas, an escaped slave who fought for women's rights and fair treatment of immigrants as well as for an end to slavery.
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