Tapati (tapati) wrote,
Tapati
tapati

Former Slave Asks For Back Pay

Jourdan Anderson, an emancipated former slave, must have been shocked at the gall of his former slave-master asking him to please come back and work for him. That took a lot of nerve. I guess local paid labor wasn't working as well as the 24/7 labor of a slave.

While keeping strictly to etiquette rules of the time, Jourdan's dictated letter still manages to contain quite a bit of snark and one particular piece of brilliance--he asks for back pay as a show of good faith. Note also the pointed reference to rape without using the word as he mentioned his concern for the safety of his daughters and refers to two women who apparently weren't so safe under his master's care.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

Bravo!
Tags: freedom, slavery
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