This eBook edition of "Twenty-Two Years a Slave and Forty Years a Freeman" has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. "Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman" is a slave narrative, detailing Austin Steward's early life of enslavement and escape, as well as his years of freedom and work at Wilber force Colony. Austin Steward (1793 – 1869) was an African-American abolitionist and author. He was born a slave and escaped from Virginia at about age 21, settling in Rochester, New York, and then Canada. Contents: Slave Life on the Plantation At the Great House Horse-racing and Its Consequences Journey to Our New Home in New York Incidents at Sodus Bay Removal From Sodus to Bath Dueling Horse-racing and General Training Death Bed and Bridal Scenes Hired Out to a New Master Thoughts on Freedom Capt. Helm — Divorce — Kidnapping Locate in the Village of Rochester Incidents in Rochester and Vicinity Sad Reverses of Capt. Helm British Emancipation of Slavery Oration — Termination of Slavery Condition of Free Colored People Persecution of the Colored People Removal to Canada Roughing It in the Wilds of Canada Narrow Escape of a Smuggler Narrative of Two Fugitives From Virginia Pleasant Re-union of Old and Tried Friends Private Losses and Private Difficulties Incidents and Peculiarities of the Indians Our Difficulties With Israel Lewis Desperation of a Fugitive Slave A Narrow Escape From My Enemies Death of B. Paul, and Return of His Brother My Family Return to Rochester The Land Agent and the Squatter Character and Death of I. Lewis My Return to Rochester Bishop Brown — Death of My Daughter Celebration of the First of August Correspondence Letter From A. Steward to Wm. L. Garrison

"Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman" is a slave narrative, detailing Austin Steward's early life of enslavement and escape, as well as his years of freedom and work at Wilber force Colony. Austin Steward (1793 – 1869) was an African-American abolitionist and author. He was born a slave and escaped from Virginia at about age 21, settling in Rochester, New York, and then Canada. Contents: Slave Life on the Plantation At the Great House Horse-racing and Its Consequences Journey to Our New Home in New York Incidents at Sodus Bay Removal From Sodus to Bath Dueling Horse-racing and General Training Death Bed and Bridal Scenes Hired Out to a New Master Thoughts on Freedom Capt. Helm — Divorce — Kidnapping Locate in the Village of Rochester Incidents in Rochester and Vicinity Sad Reverses of Capt. Helm British Emancipation of Slavery Oration — Termination of Slavery Condition of Free Colored People Persecution of the Colored People Removal to Canada Roughing It in the Wilds of Canada Narrow Escape of a Smuggler Narrative of Two Fugitives From Virginia Pleasant Re-union of Old and Tried Friends Private Losses and Private Difficulties Incidents and Peculiarities of the Indians Our Difficulties With Israel Lewis Desperation of a Fugitive Slave A Narrow Escape From My Enemies Death of B. Paul, and Return of His Brother My Family Return to Rochester The Land Agent and the Squatter Character and Death of I. Lewis My Return to Rochester Bishop Brown — Death of My Daughter Celebration of the First of August Correspondence Letter From A. Steward to Wm. L. Garrison

Firsthand accounts of escapes from slavery in the American South include narratives by Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman as well as lesser-known travelers of the Underground Railroad.

“Through the Eyes of a Slave” contains a carefully-selected collection of famous, influential and moving American slave narratives from a variety of authors including Solomon Northup's “Twelve Years a Slave”, which was adapted into the 2013 blockbuster film of the same name. These compelling, inspirational, and often harrowing real-life stories offer a unique insight into the travails of slave life in nineteenth-century America, and are highly recommended for those with an interest in this dark chapter of American history. Contents include: “Thirty Years a Slave, by Louis Hughes”, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass”, “Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup”, “Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom, by William Craft and Ellen Craft”, and “Twenty-Two Years a Slave, and Forty Years a Freeman, by Austin Steward”. Read & Co. History is proudly publishing this brand new collection of classic memoirs now for the enjoyment of a new generation of readers.

Possibly the first novel written by a black woman slave, this work is both a historically important literary event and a gripping autobiographical story in its own right. When her master is betrothed to a woman who conceals a tragic secret, Hannah Crafts, a young slave on a wealthy North Carolina plantation, runs away in a bid for her freedom up North. Pursued by slave hunters, imprisoned by a mysterious and cruel captor, held by sympathetic strangers, and forced to serve a demanding new mistress, she finally makes her way to freedom in New Jersey. Her compelling story provides a fascinating view of American life in the mid-1800s and the literary conventions of the time. Written in the 1850's by a runaway slave, THE BONDSWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a provocative literary landmark and a significant historical event that will captivate a diverse audience.