Customer Reviews

Celia, A Slave

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In this short book, Melton McLaurin has accomplished more than many historians accomplish in hundreds of pages.

In this book the reader is drawn into the complicated world of antebellum America. In lucid prose, he simultaneously shows the ideology behind antebellum mastery, the connection between seemingly insignificant individuals and national politics, the hypocritical facade of the justice system, one woman's struggle to live under brutal oppression, and offers a compelling story that has a bit of mystery in it.

He accomplishes this monumental task with clarity and transparency despite substantial holes in the documentary evidence. His work is a model to show how historians can write for a popular audience and not oversimplify, nor fictionalize, the past.

We cannot forget that America enslaved more than 4 million black people, tortured them, raped them, and stole their wages, then, after "freeing" them, forced them to live in apartheid-like conditions for nearly one hundred years. Every American must read books like Celia to confront their past. Even those who came more recently need to recognize that the wealth and the freedoms of the United States that drew millions to our nation, rests upon the back of four million unvoluntary laborers.

Read more, learn more, do more.

Celia, A Slave, is a short yet powerful and sobering book. Suitable for age 15 and up, it is for anyone interested in women's/human rights, African-American History, and even Civil War buffs. It is a true story that is difficult to read in some places. Yet it is an important, very different book. I wish everyone would read this book.

The story of Celia, a slave without even a last name, is the story of how impossible justice was for the African-American slaves of the antebellum South. Despite the valiant efforts of her defense attorneys, Celia's trial was a farce; she never had a chance at a fair trial. The judge had determined her fate before the trial commenced. Why did the trial take place even though it was predetermined? The answer lies in the instituition of slavery itself.

At the time of Celia's trial in 1885, slavery was tearing the country apart. In Missouri, where Celia killed her master, pro-slavery forces fierily debated abolitionists over whether or not the Kansas Territory would be settled as a slave or a free state.

The individual players in Celia belonged to the culture of slavery as much as Celia herself. Robert Newsom, Celia's master, was the patriarch of his household. His two adult daughters possessed more legal rights than slaves: albeit not much more. They depended upon their father for their support and survival. If the women felt any sympathy for Celia, who had approached them personally for help, it was likely surpassed by fear of being thrown out by their father.

Rather than point fingers and shake heads in regret of the travesty of justice to Celia, we should think of the present-day inequities that need our attention and commitment. Will we have the courage to see the cause through to the bitter end? Hopefully our efforts will not also be in vain.

I was forced to read this short book in college. As I turned each page, I became more connected to the protagonist, Celia and her struggle to escape the control and degradation emposed on her by her master. This story sheds light on the antebellum South's lifestyle and mentality toward "Negroes" as property versus percentages of persons. A MUST READ, especially for African American youth seeking a personal understanding!

I feel that the story of Celia is better than the book. I say that because the book can be very vague and too narrow at the same time. The author will go on and on (for pages at a time) about an irrelevant political issue in great detail and frequently makes statements like, "it is possible that..." and "it is unknown what happened..." about Celia's story. To me, it felt like the author was trying to fill the holes left by Celia's lack of historical evidence with other, well-documented events of the time period. I understand some background information is important but that was too much and it happened too often. Despite some of the issues with the book, the story itself is great. I was completely sympathic to Celia and wished that things turned out differently.

This story should have been one that grips you from beginning to end instead of a chore to wade through. Many names and dates and events could easily have been left out. I love history and usually appreciate a picture of what's going on on all fronts throughout the story, but I'm sorry to say here it seemed tedious and unnecessary.

I have to wonder if "charlesreads", a history teacher, has ever studied the theory of history. You can't fault McLaurin for not "nailing jelly to the wall." In fact, he should be praised for maintaining his integrity by not attempting to make assumptions about what happened to Celia without clear evidence. As any historian knows, it's not easy to document what really happened, and speculation opens one up to criticism. I also think it would be difficult to make a movie, because a movie-maker would have to make a decision about what version of history they would want to portray. I was riveted by the majority of the book, with the exception of the chapter on the "backdrop." I felt it was a little heavy on political detail.

Very interesting story. Very enlightening and educational. It was a bit redundant at times, though. Arrived on time and in condition stated.

Thank you for the book! It was actually for my friend and he said it looks like you described it and it arrived in a timely manner. Thanks again!

Celia is a true story about a young African-American woman who was purchased by an elderly Missouri man to be his concubine. As a resident on his farm in her own cabin, Celia becomes romantically attached to another slave. She is then forced into a dilemma: either break off her relationship with her own and be failthful to a man of her own race or continue the master-sex slave condition. She kills her owner and is susbsequently tried, convicted, and hanged.

The book covers the owner's beginning, his purchase of Celia, her conflicts, the murder and the trial with a deft hand by the author. What makes the book so outstanding is the author placing the whole story in the context of the country in the 1850s in such a way that the reader gets insights into the period. Furthermore, the author does this in a manner in a judicious manner that allows the reader to see the tragedy of Celia and 19th century dilemma of slavery in America.

Celia, A Slave by Melton McLaurin focuses on the trial of a 19-year-old slave in Missouri, charged with the murder of her master. It examines the politics of slavery (Kansas was being fought over by pro- and anti-slavery groups at the time) and patriarchy in the slave south, and I thought it was fascinating.

The middle parts of the book were the most engrossing, when the case and the events surrounding the case were discussed. The first and last chapters were a bit slower, as they go into background information on the owner and then a short analysis of how the event fits in with recent scholarship on slavery. It was pretty readable for a scholarly work, and was short enough to keep my attention (right around 150 pages). I thought it was well done.