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Celia A Slave By Melton Mclaurin

1238 Words5 Pages

The book ‘Celia a Slave’ is primarily about how unfair and inhumane slaves were treated in the early 1800’s. Melton McLaurin describes what is known about the life of Celia from when she arrived at the Newsome household until the day she was hung. Celia was only fourteen years old when Robert Newsome bought her. Newsome had recently lost his wife, but he had 2 daughters living with him that took care of the house chores and such, so what was Celia needed for? Celia was bought for one reason only, to be Robert Newsome’s sex slave. Robert Newsome and his wife and two kids arrived in Southern Callaway by the fall of 1822. He made the arduous journey from Virginia following the “Jeffersonian Dream”, searching for land along the timbered shores …show more content…

They both experienced fundamental moral anxiety, they might even have had thought that their dad was the victim in the situation. Many whites viewed black females as naturally sensual and promiscuous. They could have though that Celia was the one who was using Robert, so she wouldn’t have many chores and have her own cabin. On June 23, 1855 Robert Newsome would make his way to Celia’s cabin for the last time, because Celia would kill him. She hit him two times until he was dead then she burned him and crushed his bones until they turned in to …show more content…

I could only imagine how crushed she must have felt… she was in the position she was in because of him, he was the reason that she killed her owner, then he just gives her up? After being questioned no one believes that Celia could have committed the murder by herself. They are convinced that someone else had to have helped her burn the body. Celia was soon arrested and sent to Calloway jail to wait for her trial in October, even after being arrested she was still being interrogated to see if she would lie and say that she had help in the murder of her owner. John Jameson was Celia’s defendant, he was a Christian man, meaning that he would be more compassionate. Although Celia killed Newsome in self-defense we must keep in mind that back then woman had no rights at all, and even worse she was a slave. There was nothing to protect slaves against their owners. Celia vs. the state of Missouri sparked a lot of

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Whenever a man acquired more slaves, the amount of his wealth increased, and so did his social status. This led to Newsom, having slaves to add value to his social status. Most of his slaves worked on his farm and around the household. Among his slaves was Celia, who he made a sex slave, but to avoid a scandal, she also cooked and cleaned for him (McLaurin, 1991). Making her fulfill his sexual pleasures denied Celia control over her life.

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