Introduction

In 1720 Philippe Francois is said to have introduced slavery in Missouri. It is recorded that he came with 500 Negroes to work in the lead mines in the present counties of St Loius and Jefferson. With the growth of cotton in America which research indicated to be 800% and the invention of cotton gin during the industrial revolution by Eli Whitney in 1793, the number of Slaves in Missouri rose considerably as their demand increased along side with the exploitation of virgin lands.

Discussion

In Missouri, masters heavily relied on the number of slaves they had because this had great contribution in their economic status. As it is generally the case, men slaves were more valuable as compared to women and children. However, women suffered a great deal of abuses from their masters as compared to their male counterparts. During low season of any particular job or during the period which a slave would be considered unemployed, masters would lend their slaves to their fellow masters and would in return receive wages due to the slaves. In other words if a given master had many slaves than he needed at a particular period he would simply outsource them and receive their wages. [1]

Slaves in Missouri were subjected into doing various kinds of work and as a result they became very skilled and experienced in almost every kind of work that was available to be done. Despite their economic importance and or role in the society, slaves whether blacks and or colored were regarded as low life people. The most superior of the blacks and colored was inferior to the lowest of the whites in Missouri. As a matter of fact slavery codes were put into place to ensure that their social status was also included in the law.

In 1800s various unjust laws were passed. These laws denied Negro and colored people of their educational rights, legal rights, freedom of movement and even of speech especially in legal cases regarding the whites. They would not be allowed to engage in any form formal learning. Writing, reading and or teaching was a domain for the whites only. Anybody caught doing any of these things would be imprisoned for six months and would also pay a fine of five hundred dollars and above. It became even worse when a law was enacted that black sexual offenders towards the white would be mutilated while white male sexual offenders would be regarded as trespassers. Apart from that, Negroes were not segregated from their masters even in houses of worship and even in death. There were cemeteries for the whites and for blacks or colored. Only in few occasions would a slave be buried near his master. Their marriages were not recognized either by the church or by law until after civil war when they were forced to remarry, under the law. This nevertheless pleased many Negroes.

In effort to presumably protect themselves, the whites were the only people who were allowed to posses a gun under the law. Anybody who would be caught with a gun would be subjected to severe beatings, 39 lashes and surrender the gun.[2]

Throughout the slave period, there were men both black and whites who were outspoken about their opposition against slavery. This people lobbied for abolition of slavery amidst great opposition and hatred. Those who earnestly fought for the freedom of the slaves were ill treated and even put to death Elijah Lovejoy was in 1837 murdered for his fight against slavery. This of course was because of the massive economic gain that those who supported slavery were enjoying.

Women slaves were the most vulnerable group of slaves because apart from being subjected to hard labor under difficult slavery conditions, they were sexually harassed by their master which unfortunately was not a big crime. Negroes were not considered as humans but as their masters’ property that were free to treat them as brutally and inhumanly as it served or pleased them.

Despite the hard times they went through, slaves world work hard and buy themselves off from their masters. But even after becoming free, they were not recognized by the society and law as people with rights. As a matter of fact series of law were to be passed to make sure that the blacks would never live free life. They were dined right to education, right to own property, freedom of movement among many other forms of oppressive laws.

After long suffering and perseverance, Celia an ordinary slave of a rich and successful farmer Robert Newsom, murdered her master as defense to his continued sexual harassment to her. It is said that Celia being the only woman slave in his farm was frequently raped by his master despite her pleadings even through his master’s own daughter for her master to let her be. At an early age of 18 Celia had given birth two of Robert’s children. It is said that even after Celia fell in love with another man George also a Robert’s slave, Robert continued to rape her until one day in 1855 while he went to defile her as usual, she clubbed him to death and an effort to get rid of evidence of her act burnt his body in her cabin. As expected, a thorough search was for Mr. Robert was done and Celia confessed of killing her master.[3]

In Callaway County, Missouri young Celia was convicted and executed for murder of Robert Newsom who since her acquisition molested her frequently. This case took place during a very sensitive period when many people in the city were fighting for abolition of the institution of slavery. Therefore, the outcome of this case would adversely affect the law system in Missouri and also rights of the slaves.

According to the laws that were in existence at that time, the trial could not have taken another direction since sexual harassment against a slave was simply treated as trespass on master’s commodity. Again, in 1825, blacks were declared incompetent of in trials involving whites. Consequently, the prosecution led by Robert Prewitt obviously had an upper hand and any attempts by Jameson, a Congressman, landowner and he a slave, of putting across a case of self defense was futile in this case. William Hall, the presiding judge sustained all the objections made by the prosecution and so the only chance that Celia had to save her life would have been a testimony from her then lover George also a Newsom’s slave who chose to preserve himself other than defend his lover’s action which he himself had provoked.

Conclusion

McLaurin’s Novelistic style of demonstrating what transpired in the case of Celia which of course was just one of the many brutal cases in slave era, attracts the reader’s attention which eventually passes the message to many who wouldn’t have otherwise read it. Despite observations from many book reviewers of omissions in details, the sensitivity and insight in the book is captivating and any sympathetic person would not ignore it. McLaurin’s case study brought out the brutality and inhuman treatment that the slaves went through in American and especially in Missouri in a spectacular way that deserves a mention.[4]

I personally think that McLaurin’s straightforwardness and focus in his short book, Celia, is a successful book since it is able to bring a great illustration of the pre-civil war period of slavery and its effect on slaves. The book is also able to demonstrate the slaves’ predicament which forces others who are not necessarily affected by the situation engage in the fight against the barbaric slavery institution.[5]

It is a great piece of writing given the fact that McLaurin collects pieces of evidence in Callaway County, Missouri and its neighborhood. Though said to be speculation, his piece of writing is intriguing and is in no doubt a must read book for researchers on slavery in America and especially in Missouri and its surrounding.

References

Melton A, Celia, a Slave, University of Georgia Press Athens (1991) pp6-19