My Life in the South - Jacob Stroyer

Born into slavery in 1849, My Life in the South is Jacob Stroyer’s engrossing first hand look at his life as a slave.  After the Civil War, Stroyer moved to Salem, Massachusetts and became a minister.  A much sought-after speaker, he was urged by listeners to write down his memories.  Originally published in 1879 when he was thirty, this is a fascinating collection of stories about the training, discipline and burdens the slave had to bear as well as some of the customs of slaves and southern society.