Personal Narrative: Slavery In North America

How could one unified country suddenly become so split apart? Every day I wonder what life I would lead if I was not forced to work in the heat of the South. Although factory work in the North would still be rigorous like the farming in the South, African Americans there are not treated as things, but people. In the North, I would not be frightened at the thought of being caught and tortured or killed if I tried to move to another place. I do not know if there will ever be a time when I would be able to be free because the North and South depend on each other for goods. If slavery is abolished, would the plantation owners in the South work to give the North crops? The Southern crops are needed to make the final products that are produced in …show more content…
Since working in the house is a more privileged job, I am also given a nicer cabin with a bed made of straw. Some other plantations, and even workers at my plantation, have cabins without beds and just a coarse blanket. The rank of a slave on a plantation depends on the quality of work done and how strict the master is. Here at my plantation, my master is not as harsh as others, but it is not an easy time either. No one is taught to read and write on plantations, unless it is done secretly . Masters do not want slaves to learn to simply read and write because it could increase their chances of escaping. There is not much time to get an education because of all of the work done making clothing, crafting shoes, producing crops, and personally serving the master and their family. There is not time for much recreation, but there are a few games kids play, such as jump rope, and songs are sung with instruments by some people. When we have breaks from work, the slaves make meals and eat together. Most of the time, there is enough food and some meat, rice, peas, and eggs are what our meals consist of. Everyone is friendly and there are stories told about families and the times they had years ago. It is emotional thinking of family members who have been separated from each other and some who have attempted to escape. We have seen slaves being brought back to our …show more content…
This act means that any slave that escapes to a free state can be captured and taken back to a Southern plantation by slave hunters sent by masters. As a result, it has been becoming more difficult for slaves to escape and stay in the North. To make this process easier, a system called The Underground Railroad is being used. This is a route taken by slaves that includes taking refuge at safe houses marked by a candle in the windows. We are told that if we approach a marked house, we greet them by saying we are “a friend of a friend” to make sure they will help us. A form of hospitality and transportation commonly used is trains where slaves are hidden in cargo boxes and coffins. Once slaves reached the Northern states or Canada, they could be free and settle down in their new home. This whole process would not be possible without the abolitionists. The abolitionists help organize The Underground Railroad and plan when slaves will be transported at certain points. They believe in eliminating slavery so much that they risk everything for us because if plantation owners found them helping slaves, they would be punished. I hope that one day the beneficial abolitionists will help us escape slavery forever and let me be free to live the life I always dream