-Beginning of slavery in America 1619-
I interviewed an old man who had spent most of his adult life as a slave. He was brought over from a small village in Africa. He told me about the slave boat the journey over the days of work and the discipline.
One day about mid October 1619 he was walking down the road looking at the houses along side. He was about 24 or 25. Out of no where he was hit with something across the back of his head. When he came to he was in the belly of a ship chained up in a line of people. He knew what was going on. He has been made a slave.
The thing was no one knew where we were going. Many of us during the trip got sick and would vomit and get the guy next to him sick and then that guy would pass it on. We had like no room on the ship we would sleep right next to someone. If you wanted to turn over the whole row of people would have to turn over. It smelled vial. There was no where to go to pee so everyone would do it where they were.
It felt like weeks we were in that ship when we finally arrived where we were. We had to walk out in single file lines. They made us line up and a white man walked up and down the line picking people to go with him. He gets to me and and points and picks me. I get unchained and then chained agian to a different chain. There were other men with guns and and we all walked and walked farther away from the beach. We walked all day and most the night. We kept walking for a few days before we arrived at what seemed like a giant farm. I could hear a whip cracking and screaming. We were told our jobs and i was told that i would be on crops. Then the man said that if we did good maybe he would give us a better job.
I was walked to a little shack and was told this is where i would sleep. it was really small and i had to share with 15 other people. They put tools in my hand and said to go start working. It was a cotten field they worked us all day and then we had a the rest of the time to sleep. I did this cycle everyday for three years never having a problem. The day i got whiped was horrible i had just finished my job then i did three other jobs after mine of slaves that had died that morning and i messed up on it so a big man grabed me and draged me to the barn and tied me to a tree and i sit there. I knew what was coming but i didnt know when then a crack and i feel the pain and i hold in a scream. He whiped ten, twenty times. He left me there and came back about an hour later and untied me and told me to wash up the master wants to see you. I had heard many stories of what has happened to people who talk to the master.
Sometimes its to get a better job, but most the time he kills you. The man gave me a bucket of water so i poured it on myself. i got to dry myself off with an actual towel it had a hole but it was a towel. I was walked to the house and up to the masters office. The master told me to sit down. He was a pretty tall guy. After i sat down he started telling me about what he does. Then something that shocked me I would be taught how to read and write so that i could take the place of his recently deceased butler.Why he picked me was because i was one of the only ones who knew enough english and that hadn't tryed to run away.I was tough and loyal. I guess that was perfect butler material. I was put in a shack right outside the house where all the house slaves go to sleep.
It was cleaner then the shack i moved from but it was still pretty dirty. The kitchen was part of the shack. It didnt help the smell.There was raw meat and when there is raw meat there are smells and flies. I got a good 4 hours sleep. When i woke i was to put on my suit and tend to the chef for the morning meal so i can take it inside. I go inside and give the master his meal. He dismisses me to go ge taught how to write. Reading I was great. I was slowly getting it. After about two weeks i started writing letters for The Master. It wasn't a hard job it was a good way of not getting whipped. I did this job for another 40 years. After serving the master for so long he gave me my freedom.
