Slave Diary

January 2, 1851
This guy named Mr. White bought me as his slave, and as soon as he took me back to his plantation he put me to work. The only thing he gave me was a basket to put the cottons I pick for him. Also I had to help him water a whole bunch of not grown cottons. He is treating me like I can do all the things at once, which I am not! Why would I be sold to this evil slave owner Mr. White? Already, I can’t take it anymore!





January 3, 1851
Everyday I have wake up before the sun raises and work in the cotton field until the sun goes down. The only job for me is to pick the cottons out of their pods in the burning hot sun. We couldn’t even stop for a rest! My master hired overseers to supervise us. The only thing they care about is what we give them and nothing else. My work would never be finished. Even when after the dark, I still have water to carry, wood to split, pigs to feed, corn to shuck, cottons to clean, and much more other chores to do. I never know when it was time for me to rest. Some of the lighter skin slaves, who are the lucky ones, got to work in the master’s house. But that was not the job I could get because my skins are dark…..

January 18, 1851
Although we got houses to live in, all the slaves crowed together. The house was built with logs and bare ground. I can barely live in this house. Sometimes I even have to dash outside to get some fresh air. Not only that, I am always so hungry. We only get a ration of cornmeal, bacon, and molasses once a week. My master only provides what was needed to keep us healthy enough to work for him. Also, I only got what was called “Negro Clothes”, which are two coarse linen trousers, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, one pair of stocking, and one pair of shoes to wear. And I only get it once a year, I never even got a second of warmth by wearing it. We were only what they called “their tools”.


Februrary 8, 1851
Slave masters like mine encouraged their slaves to attend church on Sunday. They read the Bible to us and made

us pray with them. I don’t want to pray to their God, why can’t I have my freedom to religion? Instead of listening to my master reading the bible, I would sneak into the woods to gather with the other slaves. We call there “invisible church” because it should not be noticeable and the slave owners doesn’t want us to gather together. We would sing hymns together and read the Bible together.The only thing is to be careful. If we were ever caught, we would receive harsh punishments.



March 15, 1851
Families were always a dream for black slaves. It was even an impossible thing to do because the white owners would not allow us to get married. Even if you could have a family, it would be a hard thing too. One of your family members might be sold by your master at anytime they want. Some people don’t even know who their parents are and how they look like. As a slave, the only things you could get in a family are pain and tears.







March 23, 1851
Although we always have to work, there are still a little bit of leisure time for us, which are Saturday and Sunday nights. On Saturdays, we had social events like corn-husking or pea-shelling parties, which combined work and fun. These hours are precious to us. Once we lose it, we could not get it back. Women gathered to work and talk. They were free to express themselves with needle and cloth, which I myself can’t do. When they were done with the sewing, men joined the party for a “quilting feast” and dancing. We made music out of anything we could use. Sunday was the day for religion and recreation. We spent our time in the church, hunting, eating, drinking whiskey, telling tales, and gambling. When it was leisure time, I sometimes forget that I am a slave.

May 25, 1851
Things my master does crushed all my spirits, it seems that all the power and law is always on his side. Why can’t I be in control of myself? We are all human, it’s just that my skin is darker than his. This is so not fair! It’s time for us to fight back and kill the whites! I am going to join the others to pull down the fences, break the tools, and work sloppily. But what I am doing is not the worst. Some of the slaves even sneak the foods out of the master’s kitchen, pretended to be dumb, clumsy, sick, or insane to escape work. One slave even avoided working for years because of becoming nearly blind. And some of them even thought of escaping, which I am thinking of too. But it’s not an easy thing to do, I have no choice.

May 26, 1851
Ouch! My master caught me and some other slaves escaping and we are being whipped for our punishment. Some owners used harsh punishments just like mine to keep us under their control. But sometimes it’s a bad thing for them to punish us. When we are too weak after their punishment, we are not able to work for them. What they preferred to do is to make us feel totally dependent for them. They also tried to make us as ignorant as possible, only to obey our master and nothing else.