Fifty Years in Slavery in the United States of America.

Squarish 8vo, pamphlet, original pink wrappers, engraved frontispiece, a few text illustrations, 183 pp. Printed in poor quality pulp paper, but in surprisingly good shape, paper is brittle and wrappers have some pieces missing, especially rear wrapper, some staining and soiling to front cover and parts of wrapper, parts of spine also missing, normal browning; nevertheless a pretty decent copy. Smith was born in Kentucky in 1815, and remained a slave until Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Around that time he moved his family to Indiana, and then settled in Michigan with his wife. In his book, Smith talks about his personal experiences as a slave, and also relates observations on other Kentucky slaves and masters. While many of his stories are humorous, relating to sporting adventures and social activities, others relate to neglect, violence, and mistreatment of slaves. Smith primarily focuses on the slave family and life on a large plantation, but he also sheds light on the dynamics that affect white and black relationships. North American Slave Narratives Home Page. Brigano 239.