Slavery during the antebellum period was both kind and cruel, depending on your master. Catherine Green says that her master, Perry McGinnis, was a man who only believed in punishing his slaves when they needed it. During her slavery, she only received one "woopin." The slaves on Mr. McGinnis plantation had plenty of food including, coffee, milk, meats, greens, cakes, and bread. Catherine's second husband Charlie was a slave, and she says that his owners, "was mighty good slave owners." Catherine had a kind master and was treated kindly. However, the next narrative is about a slave with an inhumane master. When James Green was young, his master was forced to set him free. Then when James was twelve his master took him for a walk and sold him at a slave market for $800 to John Pincback. According to James his new master was, "the biggest devil on ea
The two narratives are fascinating, however they must be carefully reviewed for accuracy. For example, the narrative of Catherine Green is contradictory. I get the impression that Catherine's master is not as kind as she cares to reveal. She was only eleven when she was freed, therefore it would make sense that she only received one "woopin" during her small time as a slave. The beating she received was because of her little sister who walked out naked behind her. If her master would beat young children because of reasons like that, it is correct to assume he was not a very nice master. Everyday her father would be beat and then runaway. He must not have been treated well if he was always trying to run away. James, on the other hand, does not appear to hind anything. He is telling a story which reads very well. His memory appears to be remarkably
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