I Was Born A Slave; But I

Dr. Flint Had Sworn That He Would Make Me Suffer, To My Last Day, For This New Crime Against Him, As He Called It; And As Long As He Had Me In His Power He Kept His Word

When They Told Me My New-born Babe Was A Girl, My Heart Was Heavier Than It Had Ever Been Before. Slavery Is Terrible For Men; But It Is Far More Terrible For Women.

My Master Had Power And Law On His Side; I Had A Determined Will. There Is Might In Each.

I Was Ordered To Go For Flowers, That My Mistress's House Might Be Decorated For An Evening Party. I Spent The Day Gathering Flowers And Weaving Them Into Festoons, While The Dead Body Of My Father Was Lying Within A Mile Of Me. What Cared My Owners For That? He Was Merely A Piece Of Property. Moreover, They Thought He Had Spoiled His Children, By Teaching Them To Feel That They Were Human Beings. This Was Blasphemous Doctrine For A Slave To Teach; Presumptuous In Him, And Dangerous To The Masters.

The Secrets Of Slavery Are Concealed Like Those Of The Inquisition.