Pdf celia a slave free pdf download read online free. This riveting and slim book tells what it can of the story of celia, a sl ave whose tragedy played out in rural missouri in the 19th century. Mar 15, 2011 celia, a slave ebook written by melton a. For nineteenyearold celia, a slave on a missouri farm, five years of being repeatedly raped by her middleaged owner was enough.
She warned the white slave owner that the rapes had to stop. Meltons account of her trial documents the hopelessness of a. Celia, a slave kindle edition by mclaurin, melton a download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Celia, a slave characters from litcharts the creators of. Trials of the century scott patrick johnson 2011 history an encyclopedia of popular culture and the law. Mclaurin, a historian, argues that celias case offers us important insights into how together, gender and racial oppression render enslaved women. Very little is known about celias life before she lived on newsoms property, but its known that when newsom bought her, she was fourteen years old. Her defense team led by john jameson argued an affirmative defense. Celias case demonstrates how one masters abuse of power over a single slave forced whites to make moral decisions about the nature of slavery. Celia, a slave summary from litcharts the creators of. In 1850, fourteenyearold celia became the property of robert newsom, a prosperous and respected missouri farmer. Celia endured her masters attentions for years, until she became involved with a fellow slave named george and demanded that newsom stop.
Celia was an ordinary slave until she struck back at her abusive master and became the defendant in a landmark trial that threatened to undermine the very foundations of the souths peculiar institution. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading celia, a slave. Celia died december 21, 1855 was an enslaved woman found guilty of the firstdegree murder of robert newsom, her owner, in callaway county, missouri. The winner of the 2015 yale drama series playwriting competition was. Celia killed robert newsom on accident in self defense to stop newsom from raping her, which was a controversial argument at the time. Mclaurins booklength analysis of the trial and execution of celia, a slave in callaway county, missouri who kills her master and burns his body in her fireplace. Celia was an ordinary slaveuntil she struck back at her abusive master and became the defendant in a landmark trial that threatened to undermine the very. Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa stunning literary achievement that brilliantly illuminates one of the most extraordinary events in the long, dark history of slavery in america. Mclaurin focuses sharply on the role of gender, exploring the degree to which female slaves were sexually exploited, the conditions that often prevented white women from stopping such abuse, and the inability of. After purchasing celia in a neighboring county, newsom raped her on the. Celia, a slave 9780300197068, 9780300224597 vitalsource. Publisher synopsis provides a new chapter in the growing literature on slave women.
Nov 01, 1991 celia, a slave, a true story by melton a. This riveting and slim book tells what it can of the story of celia, a slave whose tragedy played out in rural missouri in the 19th century. Illuminating the moral dilemmas that lie at the heart of a slaveholding society, this book tells the story of a young slave who was sexually exploited by her master and ultimately executed for his murder. This book was well written and well researched but was a very dry read. Mclaurin, a historian, argues that celia s case offers us important insights into how together, gender and racial oppression render enslaved women.
Celia s case demonstrates how one masters abuse of power over a single slave forced whites to make moral decisions about the nature of slavery. Illuminating the moral dilemmas that lie at the heart of a slaveholding society, this book tells the story of a young slave who was sexually exploited by her master. Celia is a teenaged slave living in missouri, and is the protagonist and title character of the book. Mclaurin composes, in great detail, the tragic and true story of a slave named celia who killed her master. As the rapes continued, celia grew more restless until one night. Buy celia, a slave by melton a mclaurin online at alibris. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. In the year 1850, a prosperous missouri farmer named robert newsom buys a teenaged slave named celia. In 1850, fourteenyearold celia became the property of robert news. As he gives us celias story, mclaurin clearly explains the history of slavery in missouri and how it intertwined with the national politics of slavery. Growing up white in the segregated south for which he received the lillian smith award, and celia, a slave both georgia. An important addition to our understanding of the precivil war era, celia, a slave is also an intensely compelling narrative of one woman pushed beyond the limits of her endurance by a system that denied her humanity at the most basic level. Celia, a slave 9780380719358 by mclaurin, melton a and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Mclaurin is a professor of history at the university of north carolina at wilmington.
Celia was only fourteen when purchased by a slave owner, robert newsom in 1850. Get it today with same day delivery, order pickup or drive up. Concluded that african americans could not be us citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. Celia, a slave, was probably born in missouri in 1836. Melton alonza mclaurin discusses the trial in 1855 of eighteenyearold slave celia for the murder of her sexually. Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa stunning literary. Oct 19, 2017 she warned the white slave owner that the rapes had to stop. The nook book ebook of the celia, a slave by melton a. Celia was an ordinary slaveuntil she struck back at her abusive master and became the defendant in a landmark trial that threatened to undermine the very foundations of the souths peculiar institution. No documentation of her birth date, birthplace, or parentage exists. Celia, 19, had endured five years of assaults by robert newsom, the missouri widower in his 70s whod purchased her when she was 14. Celia, a slavecelia, a slave, was probably born in missouri in 1836.
Celia was an enslaved woman found guilty of the firstdegree murder of robert newsom, her owner, in callaway county, missouri. Robert newsom is in many ways typical of his missouri community. Celia was an ordinary slave until she struck back at her abusive master and became the defendant in a landmark trial that threatened to undermine the very. It focuses on the trial of a 19yearold slave accused of murdering her master in missouri. Ive read a few slave narratives before, but this was a fascinating departure from that. Finally, celias love for another slave led to a confrontation during which she killed newsom. Journal of american history mclaurins novelistic approach to history results in an. Mclaurin uses celia s story to reveal the tensions that strained the fabric of antebellum southern society. But in 1855, driven to the limits of her endurance, celia fought back. Save up to 80% by choosing the etextbook option for isbn. Celia, a slave in the summer of 1855, a slave named celia committed a crime that would test the laws and precedents placed on slaves in missouri during this time period.
The book was published in 1991 by the university of georgia press. The winner of the 2015 yale drama series playwriting competition was selected by nicholas wright, former associate director of londons royal court. On the night of june 23, 1855, she would later tell a reporter, the devil got into me and celia fatally clubbed her master as he approached her in her cabin. This book that i have consists of one hundred and fourth three pages. Celia s recorded history ends five and a half years later when she was tried and hanged for the murder of her owner. Melton alonza mclaurin discusses the trial in 1855 of eighteenyearold slave celia for the murder of her sexually abusive master robert newsom in missouri.
Celia was only fourteen years old when she was acquired by john newsom, an aging widower and one of the most prosperous and respected. Celia a slave download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa stunning literary achievement that brilliantly illuminates one of the most extraordinary events in the long, dark history of slavery. Celia, a slave was written by a man named melton a. Celia was ultimately executed by hanging following a denied appeal in december 1855. Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa. This moving and masterfully told true story concerns the abuse and execution of a female black slave in antebellum missouri. Mclaurin details the events of a 19 year old slave girl who killed her master while defending herself against his sexual advances. Celia, a slave summary and study guide supersummary.
Celia, a sl ave kindle edition by mclaurin, melton a download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Celia, a slave 9780380803361 by mclaurin, melton a and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Mclaurin may not have believed that celia acted entirely independently. Buy celia, a sl ave by melton a mclaurin online at alibris. To have empowered slave women in the domestic arena, to have recognized their right to control their sexuality, would have undercut the power of the master to a degree that would have threatened the very survival of the institution.
Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarship a stunning literary achievement that brilliantly illuminates one of the most extraordinary events in the long, dark history of slavery in america. Her recorded history begins in the summer of 1850 when she was purchased by robert newsom, of fulton township, calloway county, missouri. Click download or read online button to get celia a slave book now. Journal of american history mclaurins novelistic approach to history results in an informationpacked, thoughtprovoking. Celia, a slave summary in the year 1850, a prosperous missouri farmer named robert newsom buys a teenaged slave named celia. The blow proved fatal and a terrified celia disposed of his body in her fireplace, a crime that was quickly discovered and brought to trial. Click download or read online button to get celia a sla ve book now. Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa stunning literary achievement that brilliantly illuminates one of the most extraordinary events in the long, dark history of slavery in. Growing up white in the segregated south for which he received the lillian smith award, and celia, a sl ave both georgia.
An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. A true story, paperback by mclaurin, melton alonza, isbn 0380803364, isbn 9780380803361, brand new, free shipping in the us follows a landmark moment in american slavery as culled from court records, correspondence, and newspaper accounts that recorded the trial and execution of celia, who killed her master in selfdefense. For the next five years, she was cruelly and repeatedly molested by her abusive masterand bore him two children in the process. Celia, a slave by melton a mclaurin and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The murder trial of the slave celia, coming at a time. Celia, a slave was an 1855 murder trial held in the circuit court of callaway county, missouri, in which an enslaved woman named celia was tried for the firstdegree murder of her owner, robert newsom. Newsom entered her slave house to commit another terrible rape, celia used a blunt stick to knock him out cold and repeatedly beat him until he was dead. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading celia, a sl ave. Celia, a sl ave by barbara seyda and publisher yale university press. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read celia, a sl ave. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read celia, a slave. Barbara seydas stunningly theatrical celia, a slave is a vivid tableau of interviews with the dead that interweaves oral histories with officia. Barbara seydas stunningly theatrical celia, a slave is a vivid tableau of interviews with the dead that interweaves oral histories with official archival records.
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