Narrative of the Life of John Quincy Adams E-Book

John Quincy Adams

• Herausgeber: Andura Publishing
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

A true and powerful story of the resilience of the human spirit. An American classic.

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Leseprobe

Narrative of the Life of John Quincy Adams,

When in Slavery, and Now as a Freeman:

John Quincy Adams

PREFACE

         Every book has its preface--a book without a preface would be like a city without a directory, or an animal with only part of the organs necessary to its existence.

        To the friends of progress and elevation I propose to write a narrative of real life as a slave and as a citizen. Believing that every person, who regards those that are striving to educate themselves, will give this little book some encouragement when its author presents it to them, and believing that every gentleman and lady will do so, I feel satisfied to submit the following facts of my life when in slavery and now as a freeman.

        Many persons may think that a man who would publish his life should do it intelligently, and do I. If you cannot write it intelligently

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do the best you can, and next time endeavor to do better. There is not much expected of a man at his first attempt who has spent his early days in slavery, and has had no opportunity to learn to read or write, but believing that this little book will help me to do better in the future I feel encouraged to persevere, as I have always done, to the best of my knowledge. I hope that God will bless me in my effort to publish the true facts and incidents as they occurred from time to time. All intelligent persons know that a man who went to school but four months in his life, and that to night school, and sometimes only three nights in a week, would be incapable to write this little book as it should be written. This book is not published to create any excitement or to accuse any one wrongfully, but the true facts as I can remember them to the best of my knowledge and ability. The strong must bear the infirmities of the week. Remember that.

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THE LIFE

OF

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

        I was born in Frederick county, Virginia, in 1845, and was the slave of Mr. George F. Calomese. My father and mother were both slaves, and belonged to the same family. My mother was seventeen years old when she was married, and my father eighteen. They are both living, and are in very good health, and enjoying freedom, as well as every other citizen. In my father's family there were twenty-five children, fifteen boys and ten girls. There were four pairs of twins, and I am one of them. My twin mate is living at this time.

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         I remember, when a child, our parents used to tell us that we would not be always slaves. It made me feel glad to think that I would be free some day or other. Though very young I always felt that I would like to know how to read and write, but had no one to teach me. I often heard the white people say that they did not want the negro to learn to read and write. Then I felt satisfied that there was something more than learning to read and write that they did not want the negro to know. When I would hear any one reading I would always go and stand around and listen. They often asked me what I wanted. I would always say "nothing," but go and tell my father and mother, and they would say, "try to hear all you can, but don't let them know it." When an election was going on they did not want the negro to know anything then, but I tried to learn all I could so that I might tell father and mother. [damaged page] was very young and sickly at that time and if it had not been for that I could

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remember a great many more little things that happened from time to time. When I was sick my twin brother was sick, and just as soon as he was well I was well too. That was always the case. We were always together, and were never satisfied if we were not. That was the way until I was taken as a house servant, and then we missed each other very much for a long time, but when I could get out to play then we were satisfied. Though I had fourteen or fifteen brothers and sisters playing around none was like brother Aaron. Father and mother wanted to do all they could for us, because we were sickly, and did not think they would raise us, but as we grew older we became stronger, and were as well as the other children. My mother was sickly at that time. Many times the little children would go to mother's bedside and cry--we thought that she was dead, for sometimes she did not speak for a day, but when mother would get well what a happy time we would have. As young as

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we were we knew what it was when mother was sick. When Sunday came mother would dress us and take us to church, but when she was sick we missed our dear mother very much indeed. I often think if some of the children in these days had as strict a mother and father as we had there would not be so many dissipated men as we have in our city to-day. I was not allowed from a child to drink whisky, nor smoke segars, nor do any of those things, and I thank my father and mother for it to-day, and will always think enough of them to never do it.

        I will now tell you of my old master's family. They were one of the first families of Virginia. They stood upon their blood. They would trace their ancestors for two hundred years back. I think they told me that their grand-father was related to President Washington--so at that rate they were some of the "big bugs." No poor "white trash" there, as they called it. They were very wealthy, but off of negroes and land. You would

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see them going around sometimes and put their hands on one of the little negroes, and say, "here is $1,000, or $1,500 or $2,000." How much a negro was worth then, and now not worth 25 cents a piece. How things have changed. Mrs. Calomese was a very kind lady indeed, and would have been more so if she had not had so many in charge. There was in the family Mr. and Mrs. Calomese, three sons and three daughters. The sons were all very fine looking gentlemen. The daughters were three as handsome young ladies as I ever saw. They were very good and kind to me, and would have taught me to read if they could have had their way. But the best of all was my brother Robert stole a march on that old fellow. You know that boys and girls are very fond of nice apples, and all other kinds of nice fruit, and Robert knew that very well. So he would get all the nice fruit he could, and then he bought a book, and in the evenings and on Sundays the white children all played together. Then brother

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Robert would say, "who wants some nice apples?" They would come and say, "I do." "Well if you hear me say my lesson I will give you this." "All right." They would hear him from time to time, and that is the way he learned to read in the South. That is the way many poor slaves learned to read and write. My father could read, but I do know how he learned. He never went to school, but just listened to others when they were reading, and that was all the chance he had to learn. He was very glad and happy to have a chance to learn to read the Word of God. I have known both old and young to come on Sundays to hear him read the Bible. But we thank God that we all can learn to read and write, and need fear no one when we know that we are doing right.

        A word in reference to the farm where I was reared. It was one of the finest farms in the State of Virginia. I think it contained 450 acres of land. There were some of the best springs on it I ever

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