13 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2015
    1. and the 15th Day of June, we were cast away on Cape-Florida, about 5 Leagues from the Shore; being now destitute of every Help, we knew not what to do or what Course to take in this our sad Condition

      What happened to put them in such dire conditions?

    2. An Account of the many Hardships he underwent from the Time he left his Master’s House, in the Year 1747, to the Time of his Return to Boston–How he was Cast away in the Capes of Florida;–the horrid Cruelty and inhuman Barbarity of the Indians in murdering the whole Ship’s Crew;–the Manner of his being carry’d by them into Captivity. Also, An Account of his being Confined Four Years and Seven Months in a close Dungeon,–And the remarkable Manner in which he met with his good old Master in London; who returned to New-England, a Passenger, in the same Ship.

      Before even reading this, I'm kind of skeptical that this man even existed. Sounds like a story slave owners would make up to keep their slaves from running away...

    3. Briton Hammon

      "Briton Hammon was a slave in the middle of the 18th century, who, after leaving his master, may have encountered more hardships outside his sanctioned slavery than as a slave. He recorded, and published, his "uncommon" story as a slave and his many hardships. Some of these include being captured by Indians after the deaths of all persons but himself on the ship and being held in captivity twice, once for almost five years. He described many attempts of escaping his captives, almost ending his life in a very poor state, and finally prevailing as a free man." --Wikipedia