Once upon a time, in the deep south of America, there was a boy named Jacob who was born into slavery. His mother was a slave owned by a wealthy plantation owner, and his father was another slave who was sold off to another plantation when Jacob was just a baby.
Jacob grew up in a small hut on the plantation, surrounded by other slaves who were just as oppressed and controlled as he was. He watched as his mother was forced to work long hours in the fields, enduring the blistering heat and the whip of the overseer. He saw how the other slaves were punished for even the smallest mistake, and how they were never allowed to leave the plantation or learn how to read or write.
Despite the constant fear and oppression, Jacob remained hopeful. He dreamed of one day being free, and he secretly taught himself how to read by stealing books from the plantation owner's library. He would spend hours at night hidden away in his hut, devouring the words on the pages and absorbing the information.
