Document 1b
African-born James L. Bradley was a slave who purchased his freedom. In 1834, while a student at the Lane
Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, he wrote a short account of his life. This is an excerpt from his account.
… I will begin as far back as I can remember. I think I was between two and three years old
when the soul-destroyers tore me from my mother’s arms, somewhere in Africa, far back from
the sea. They carried me a long distance to a ship; all the way I looked back, and cried. The ship
was full of men and women loaded with chains; but I was so small, they let me run about on deck.
After many long days, they brought us into Charleston, South Carolina. A slaveholder bought
me, and took me up into Pendleton County. I suppose that I staid [stayed] with him about six
months. He sold me to a Mr. Bradley, by whose name I have ever since been called. This man
was considered a wonderfully kind master; and it is true that I was treated better than most of
the slaves I knew. I never suffered for food, and never was flogged with the whip; but oh, my
soul! I was tormented with kicks and knocks more than I can tell. My master often knocked me
down, when I was young. Once, when I was a boy, about nine years old, he struck me so hard
that I fell down and lost my senses. I remained thus some time, and when I came to myself, he
told me he thought he had killed me. At another time, he struck me with a currycomb [metal
comb used for grooming horses], and sunk the knob into my head. I have said that I had food
enough; I wish I could say as much concerning my clothing. But I let that subject alone, because
I cannot think of any suitable words to use in telling you.…
Source: Bailey and Kennedy, eds., The American Spirit, Volume I: To 1877, Houghton Mifflin,1998
According to this document, what was one hardship James L. Bradley experienced as a slave?
African-born James L. Bradley was a slave who purchased his freedom. In 1834, while a student at the Lane
Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, he wrote a short account of his life. This is an excerpt from his account.
… I will begin as far back as I can remember. I think I was between two and three years old
when the soul-destroyers tore me from my mother’s arms, somewhere in Africa, far back from
the sea. They carried me a long distance to a ship; all the way I looked back, and cried. The ship
was full of men and women loaded with chains; but I was so small, they let me run about on deck.
After many long days, they brought us into Charleston, South Carolina. A slaveholder bought
me, and took me up into Pendleton County. I suppose that I staid [stayed] with him about six
months. He sold me to a Mr. Bradley, by whose name I have ever since been called. This man
was considered a wonderfully kind master; and it is true that I was treated better than most of
the slaves I knew. I never suffered for food, and never was flogged with the whip; but oh, my
soul! I was tormented with kicks and knocks more than I can tell. My master often knocked me
down, when I was young. Once, when I was a boy, about nine years old, he struck me so hard
that I fell down and lost my senses. I remained thus some time, and when I came to myself, he
told me he thought he had killed me. At another time, he struck me with a currycomb [metal
comb used for grooming horses], and sunk the knob into my head. I have said that I had food
enough; I wish I could say as much concerning my clothing. But I let that subject alone, because
I cannot think of any suitable words to use in telling you.…
Source: Bailey and Kennedy, eds., The American Spirit, Volume I: To 1877, Houghton Mifflin,1998
According to this document, what was one hardship James L. Bradley experienced as a slave?