A Slave No More Essay Sample
For my concluding undertaking I chose to make a reappraisal of the book “A Slave No More” written by David W. Blight. In his book. Blight tells the narrative about two work forces. John M. Washington and Wallace Turnage and their flight from bondage during The Civil War. Blight provides us with transcripts of the narrations of both work forces. In my reappraisal I will interrupt down Blights book sing the narratives of John M. Washington and Wallace Turnage. In my paper I will portion a review of the book and give my sentiment of this book. This is an unbelievable narrative of the first individual narrations of two work forces who escaped to freedom. In the first portion of his book Blight tells us the narratives of John M. Washington and Wallace Turnage. From research he has gathered. he tells the narrative of both of these work forces and uses information from both of the narrations. Blight breaks the book down into chapters stating us the narrative of John M. Washington foremost. In the first chapter blight state us about Washington’s life as a slave up until his flight to freedom. “John M. Washington was born a slave on May 20. 1838 in Fredericksburg. Virginia ( Blight 17 ) . John knew his female parent Sarah. who was twenty one when she gave birth to John. but did non cognize his male parent.
Blight does a nice occupation explicating Washington’s life as a child and his life as a slave. We learn about how he met his future married woman Annie and he goes on to discourse John’s ability to go really cagey and a good con adult male early in life which finally helps him get away to freedom. Blight wraps up this chapter with Washington’s flight to freedom. Blight so uses the 2nd chapter to discourse Wallace Turnage. “Wallace Turnage was born on August 24. 1846. in the Tyson’s Marsh territory of Green County near Snow Hill. North Carolina” ( Blight 55 ) Wallace knew both his female parent Courtney. who gave birth to Wallace when she was merely 15. and his male parent Slyvester Turnage. Like John Washington Wallace Turnage was of assorted race. Blight discusses the life of Wallace as a immature adult male who had it really tough. As a immature adult male Turnage was sold to a plantation proprietor in Pickensville. Alabama named James Chalmers. Blight does a good occupation depicting Turnage’s life as a immature slave who fought his bondage at a immature age and continues to make so until he was able to get away to freedom. Blight does a great occupation construing Turnages narrative in this chapter.
An illustration of this is Blight depicting Turnages 3rd flight effort. Blight says Turnage wants his readers to cognize his 3rd flight about succeeded. He stresses that he was ne’er taken without a battle and that he ne’er surrendered to his dehumanisation. In chapter three. Blight discusses Washington and Turnages loves after they became free. As small information as that was available on how these two work forces lived after the emancipation. bight does a nice occupation depicting their lives from the information he was able to happen. John Washington. his married woman and their household lived in Washington DC after he became free. In Dc John and his married woman Annie became involved in the Baptist church. They became really active members of the Baptist church and looked to the church as a topographic point where they can experience free. In 1865 John’s boy Johnnie died and this greatly affected John who wrote a eulogium for his boy. Blight provides the eulogium in his book. Equally far as could be determined John worked as a labourer by twenty-four hours and a painter by dark. John was really active in the black community in Washington and got involved in community events. By 1873 John and his married woman had five kids and this was about the clip John wrote the narrative. John was able to acquire his youngest boy Ben into a outstanding public high school in Washington and he went on to populate a successful life.
In 1913. John and Annie were retired and they moved to Cohasset. Massachusetts to populate with their boy James and his married woman. John Washington died in 1918 and is buried in Cohasset at the Woodside Cemetery. Blight covers Wallace Turnages life following. After Wallace left his regiment he lived in Baltimore and married his first married woman. John finally moved to New York City in 1870. Turnage finally married once more and moved to New Jersey to get away the abrasiveness of the New York vicinity he lived in. but he continued to work in New York as a janitor. Turnage lived a difficult life and struggled mightily. Like Washington. Turnage was involved in the Baptist church. John and his married woman Sarah would hold seven kids but lost for to illness. John’s married woman Sarah died in 1889 and John married his 3rd married woman Sarah in 1889. Turnage decidedly had a more rough life than Washington did. Wallace Turnage finally died 1916 and was buried in New York in Cypress Cemetery. Turnages youngest girl Lydia lived until 1984 and had kept her male parents narrative in a clamshell box. When Lydia died her things were gathered by a neighbour Gladys Watts who finally shared the narrative. Blight uses chapter four to speak about the battle for emancipation and the battles before and after emancipation.
Blight really nicely leads up to the narrations of toilet Washington and Wallace Turnage. Blight gives us the narrations in their original signifier. but he did a good occupation doing them easier to read by adding paragraph interruptions and assisting with spelling when needed. This was really helpful because both of the narrations were difficult to read at times. At this point in the book Blight gives us the narrations of John M. Washington and Walter Turnage John Washington’s narration was foremost. This was an astonishing narrative about a adult male who overcame so much to go free. John begins his narrative by speaking about his yearss as a immature male child. He remembers being taught by his female parent. Washington says in his narrative. “at about 4 old ages of age Mother taught me the afphabet from the “New York Primer. ” I was kept at my lessons an hr or two by my mother” ( Blight 169 ) . In The following paragraph he states “My foremost great sorrow was caused by seeing one forenoon. a figure of the “Plantation Hands. ” formed into line. with small Bundles. strapped to their dorsums. work forces. adult females. and kids. and all marched off to be sold South off from all that was nigh and dear to them. . Parents. Wifes. hubbies and kids ; all separated one from another ; possibly ne’er to run into once more on Earth” ( Blight 169 ) .
I thought this was rather an astonishing thing for a immature male child to see and construe. and it is obvious that this incident left a permanent feeling on him. At about the age of 11 or twelve John’s female parent and his siblings were sent off to line in Staunton. Virginia. John did non like being separated from his household but did hold a reasonably easy childhood. John was kept under close ticker by his proprietor Mrs. Taliaferro as he began to turn into a immature adult male and he frequently dreamed of get awaying to the North. An of import minute in John’s life was being baptized in the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg. Virginia. John was hired out many times by his proprietor and landed in Richmond and lived with a Mr. Wendlinger and when the war heated up and Union military personnels closed in on Richmond. John as sent to Fredericksburg with the outlook he return January foremost. John would ne’er return alternatively he acquired work at the Shakespeare in as a steward and bartender. In July of 1862. the Union ground forces was shuting in on Fredericksburg and this was John’s opportunity to get away. He smartly made the proprietors of the Inn believe he was afraid of the Yankee soldiers. When he was able to convert them they left him to take attention of settling up with the aid and locking up the Inn. John did so and escaped across the Rappahannock River into the Union lines.
Washington became a muss retainer to General Rufus King. John was able to assist the Union ground forces as they went into Fredericksburg by indicating out the persons who supported the Rebels. John served in this capacity on the side. As the Rebel ground forces was traveling in on Fredericksburg John would return to look into on his household. but was fearful because of a three hundred dollar premium put on his caput. If he were to be captured he would be put to decease. John stayed in Fredericksburg for approximately a hebdomad before he was forced to go forth. He could non take his married woman because she was pregnant and could non go. John made it across the river and back to the Union lines. He finally found his manner on a train that took him to Washington Dc where he would finally settle and be joined by his married woman. Turnages narration was shared following by Blight. Wallace Turnage had it much tougher in Washington. I thought it was interesting that Wallace Turnage begins his narrative humor an apology for his book. “My book is a study of my life or escapades and persecutions which I went through from 1860 to 1865. I do non intend to talk slightingly of those who sold me. nor of those who bought me.
Though I seen a difficult clip. it had at inclination to do a adult male of me” ( Blight273 ) Turnage begins his narrative in 1860. Wallace was taken to Richmond. Virginia and sold to a Mr. Chalarmers. who took him to his plantation in Pickensville. Alabama. From the really clip he arrived on this plantation Wallace was exposed to the Fieldss and the abrasiveness of bondage. He was whipped frequently because he fought against his bondage and refuses to yield to the overseer’s force. In the autumn of 1960 Wallace was to be whipped along with two other adult females slaves for non picking adequate cotton. When Wallace saw the tanning that the first adult female got. he ran off. He stayed in the forests until hunger overcame him. He returned to the plantation because he did non cognize his manner about and he was hungry. When he returned he was to be whipped by the superintendent. but he was determined non to be whipped. Turnage fought back and ended up wrestling with the superintendent. He was finally held down by a plantation manus and he was whipped 95 times. Wallace would go on to contend against his bondage continually be aftering ways he could get away.
The spring of 1861. Wallace ran off once more to avoid a tanning. Wallace made it every bit far as Columbus. Mississippi and decided to return to Pickensville due to being tired and hungry. He was caught in Pickensville on the manner back and returned to his maestro. He had made it much farther this clip and learned more about the country. This clip he was non returned to the Fieldss but was kept to work in the house as a retainer. He would non remain long. His master’s married woman had him whipped several times and to avoid another tanning he ran off. In the month of November. he left the plantation and headed away. This was his 3rd flight effort and it mad it to merely outside Okolona. Mississippi where he was caught in the month of January. He was whipped by white work forces and he was finally returned to Pickensville. This clip he made it farther than the last clip. It was astonishing how he was able to work his manner past Rebel guards and his resourcefulness was unbelievable. After his return to Pickensville. Wallace became tired of being whipped and ran off once more.
This was his 4th effort and he was able to acquire within a twosome of stat mis of Corinth. Mississippi. He was finally caught and this clip his maestro retrieved him. Wallace was taken back to Pickensville. This was October of 1862. Wallace was taken to Mobile. Alabama and was sold to a Mr. Minge. Soon Wallace would do his fifth and concluding flight effort. This journey was unbelievable and astonishing. Turnage was able to do it go through a regiment of Rebel soldiers. being caught and whipped. walking through serpent infested swamps. He would do it across the Foul River and into the safety of the Union Army. which he would travel on to function in. In Conclusion I want to state that I found this book absolutely gratifying. It was really good written and represented. These were astonishing narratives by two work forces who wanted freedom so severely. Wallace Turnages many flight efforts and his enormous will and doggedness was astonishing. I would decidedly urge this book to others.
Bibliography
Blight. David A Slave No More. Boston New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
