Born into slavery in Virginia, James Smith grew up knowing great cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses. Always longing for freedom, as a young man he was able to make a daring escape.Once in the north, he made a life for himself, married and raised a family, continued his education, and keenly observed the changing world around him as America came to blows in the Civil War.After the war, he made a trip back to Virginia, reuniting with siblings he had not seen in decades:"My joy and excitement rose to such a height, that I scarcely knew whether I was in the body or out."He even had an astonishingly warm visit with a former owner who brought him in to dinner.Of the plight of African-Americans post-emancipation, Smith observed objectively: "But, say you, the day of trial is over, the stream of sympathy may be dried up because of the nominal freedom that has been vouchsafed. I say to you nay my whole race is yet in peril, and God only knows the end."For the first time, this long-out-of-print book is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones.Be sure to LOOK INSIDE or download a sample.

Published in 1881, this is the autobiography of James L. Smith, who lived as a slave in Northumberland County, Virginia before the Civil War. Includes recollections of the Civil War, education of freedmen and more.