John Washington And Wallace Turnage's A Slave No More

The events of Civil War meant only one thing to America’s four million slaves, and that was a new found hope. Men like John Washington and Wallace Turnage seized the moment and fought for freedom, issuing their own emancipation proclamations essentially before the fact. The emancipation of the four million slaves in America and there liberation began with “self-liberation”. Which is strongly reflected in the slave narratives presented by David Blight in his book “A Slave No More”. Washington and Turnage wrote vivid accounts of their lives as slaves and the bold bids for freedom that took them across Confederate lines and into the waiting arms of Union soldiers. Washington, born in 1838, grew up in Fredericksburg, Va., and stayed there, in servitude to the widow of his master, after being separated from his mother and four younger siblings at 12. Unlike Turnage, who labored on an Alabama plantation and suffered constant whippings, Washington lived a town life. In Washington’s accounts he tries his best to take into consideration of future readers of his narrative and hopes to keep them engaged in his …show more content…
Their struggles for freedom ultimately would have not come without rebellion to there oppressors. Two interesting narratives from slaves of different circumstances and hardships but one ultimate goal, which was freedom that was desired by many. These first hand accounts show that freedom is fight an must be battled by those who against all will be resilient until the ultimate goal is attained. More narratives show be researched and made readily available to show the hardships and struggles it takes to fight for what one believes in. No matter the challenges one is faced upon never given or give upon on what you’re fighting for. These two men battled the odds for a better life an in essence gave hope to other people of color to fight for there own