Summary Of Celia A Slave

Celia A Slave Ceila a slave is a book written by Melton McLaurin in 1991. It describes the accusation, trial and execution of a slave called Celia. In the book, McLaurin tries to describe the case as detailed as he can, as there were still a lot of unknown facts about Celia’s life. furthermore, as slaves were not given the right to read or write, what happens to her and her case comes from somebody else’s account. McLaurin also himself agrees that, some of the facts in Celia’s case might be an exaggeration. Even though utmost care has been taken in her case to include what it is, he still warns his readers to be mindful of some facts. Celia’s whereabouts, such as her birth and parents, nothing is known prior to 1850. Which is not surprising, as the blacks were viewed as merely as a livestock by majority of southerners. She was bought in 1850 by a man called Robert Newsome. He was a widower, who only bought her to use her as a concubine. He brings her to his household as a domestic worker. She is only 14 when she is bought. While on their way back from the marketplace, she is raped by her master as a sign of dominance. Her master gives her a good quarter to live on, made with a brick and her quarter has a really big fireplace. Even though her master had four children of his own and had both of his …show more content…
This threw out the self defense in Celia’s case. Defense insisted that, Celia, a woman was entitled by law to use deadly force to protect her honor. Section 29 of the second article of the Missouri state of 1845 made it a crime “to take any woman unlawfully against her will.” The defense insisted “any woman” to mean both free women and slave women. as they blamed the owner for trying to sexually exploit a pregnant and sick woman. Furthermore they argued that, in Missouri law,it is perfectly justifiable to kill a person if the said person was trying to commit a felony to another