NAME : ZIPPORAH NGARE-KARUA COURSE TITLE/NUMBER: HIST 1301 PROFESSOR’S NAME : MRS. RENEE CELESTE
DATE : 11/29/2017
Celia, a Slave by Melton A. McLaurin, is an historiographical book that explains life events of slaves in the antebellum era in Missouri and politics that surrounded the ownership of slaves. McLaurin uses Celia, Robert Newson’s slave as the main character to propel us into the history of slavery and conquest in abolishing it. The country had disputes of free states versus slave states being legalized and national debates in Kansas caught up with Celia’s story. McLaurin won the Lillian Smith Award for Nonfiction with his book Separate Pasts: Growing Up in the Segregated South. Celia, a Slave was a New York Times notable book selection in 1991 and won Southern Book Award in1992. This history-nonfiction book elaborates the story of a slave named Celia. …show more content…
McLaurin reveals the moral dilemma of antebellum Southern Missourian society through Celia’s trial. Celia was 14 years old when she was brought to Callaway County, Missouri by her master Newsom who exploited her sexually, abused her dignity and bore him two children. He repeatedly raped her inhumanly but Celia had no powers over her master, since she was just a slave to him, as quoted by McLaurin: “To have empowered slave women in the domestic arena, to have recognized their right to control their sexuality, would have undercut the power of the master” (138). One night she defended herself from rape and hit Newson with a club murdering him unintentionally. Moreover, her life worsened as she was accused of murder and had to go for trials. She lost the case despite being defended by the most prominent attorneys and she was sentenced to hung in public. Slavery and legal system failed the black people who were considered properties of the white people. McLaurin quoted, “Sexual assault on a slave woman by white was considered trespass, not a rape and owner cannot be charged with trespassing his own property” (111). This shows that Celia’s rape was justified and not a crime in Missouri.
McLaurin is a professor and an author who emphasizes on American History Literature on race relations. He has authored other books, among them The Marines of Montford Point, Knights of Labor in the South and many others. McLaurin wrote this book to highlight what slaves had to endure in Antebellum America. He mirrored Celia’s life to reflect all slaves in Missouri in 1850’s. McLaurin stated, “Black female slaves were essentially powerless in a slave society, unable to legally protect themselves from the physical assaults of either white or black males” (113). He highlighted the racial biases between white and black slaves. He wanted to enlighten us how the legal system failed to end dehumanization of black people. He wrote this book for the world to understand what it took to fight slavery with pro-slavery forces versus the abolitionists. Consequently, he felt the need to confront the moral issues like racism, sexual exploitation, reforms and resistances in the antebellum American society that are less highlighted by other historians. Slavery and sexual exploitation themes were the most important as the book highlights them most. Slaves were owned as properties and they could not testify against their master’s brutality. Historical gap theme was evident as there is a lot of information left out and unknown. McLaurin used educated guesswork to perceive what
DATE : 11/29/2017
Celia, a Slave by Melton A. McLaurin, is an historiographical book that explains life events of slaves in the antebellum era in Missouri and politics that surrounded the ownership of slaves. McLaurin uses Celia, Robert Newson’s slave as the main character to propel us into the history of slavery and conquest in abolishing it. The country had disputes of free states versus slave states being legalized and national debates in Kansas caught up with Celia’s story. McLaurin won the Lillian Smith Award for Nonfiction with his book Separate Pasts: Growing Up in the Segregated South. Celia, a Slave was a New York Times notable book selection in 1991 and won Southern Book Award in1992. This history-nonfiction book elaborates the story of a slave named Celia. …show more content…
McLaurin reveals the moral dilemma of antebellum Southern Missourian society through Celia’s trial. Celia was 14 years old when she was brought to Callaway County, Missouri by her master Newsom who exploited her sexually, abused her dignity and bore him two children. He repeatedly raped her inhumanly but Celia had no powers over her master, since she was just a slave to him, as quoted by McLaurin: “To have empowered slave women in the domestic arena, to have recognized their right to control their sexuality, would have undercut the power of the master” (138). One night she defended herself from rape and hit Newson with a club murdering him unintentionally. Moreover, her life worsened as she was accused of murder and had to go for trials. She lost the case despite being defended by the most prominent attorneys and she was sentenced to hung in public. Slavery and legal system failed the black people who were considered properties of the white people. McLaurin quoted, “Sexual assault on a slave woman by white was considered trespass, not a rape and owner cannot be charged with trespassing his own property” (111). This shows that Celia’s rape was justified and not a crime in Missouri.
McLaurin is a professor and an author who emphasizes on American History Literature on race relations. He has authored other books, among them The Marines of Montford Point, Knights of Labor in the South and many others. McLaurin wrote this book to highlight what slaves had to endure in Antebellum America. He mirrored Celia’s life to reflect all slaves in Missouri in 1850’s. McLaurin stated, “Black female slaves were essentially powerless in a slave society, unable to legally protect themselves from the physical assaults of either white or black males” (113). He highlighted the racial biases between white and black slaves. He wanted to enlighten us how the legal system failed to end dehumanization of black people. He wrote this book for the world to understand what it took to fight slavery with pro-slavery forces versus the abolitionists. Consequently, he felt the need to confront the moral issues like racism, sexual exploitation, reforms and resistances in the antebellum American society that are less highlighted by other historians. Slavery and sexual exploitation themes were the most important as the book highlights them most. Slaves were owned as properties and they could not testify against their master’s brutality. Historical gap theme was evident as there is a lot of information left out and unknown. McLaurin used educated guesswork to perceive what