{"id":268,"date":"2021-05-31T11:14:15","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T15:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/therefugee\/?post_type=chapter&p=268"},"modified":"2022-02-01T10:35:43","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T15:35:43","slug":"henry-brant","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/chapter\/henry-brant\/","title":{"raw":"Henry Brant","rendered":"Henry Brant"},"content":{"raw":"I was from Millwood, Frederic Co., Virginia. I was brought up by Col. N\u2014's widow. I remained in\u00a0bondage until twenty-three, hired out at different places. I had very little chance to get money,\u2014perhaps two or three dollars a year. Usage was, compared with farming usage, good, as when I was hired out, there were restrictions, that I should be well used.\r\n\r\nIt always appeared to me that I wanted to be free, and could be free. No person ever taught me so,\u2014it came naturally in my mind. Finally I saw that my case was pretty bad, if I was to live all my lifetime subject to be driven about at the will of another. When I thought of it, I felt wrathy at the white men. At length, I said\u2014this will not do\u2014if I stay here I shall kill somebody\u2014I'd better go.\r\n\r\nIn 1834, my mistress being old, I feared that in event of her death, I might be placed on some farm, and be cruelly used. I sought out a chance to get off. I found friends among those who were in the interests of the slaveholders, and by their instructions reached Canada without trouble, and had the satisfaction of having a friend come too by my persuasion. He is in Canada, but I have not seen him since. I settled in Sandwich.\r\n\r\nI received on coming into the country neither victuals, clothes, nor money,\u2014I received only a welcome,\u2014that was all I wanted, and I was thankful to get it. I did just what work I could find to be done. I managed to save up what little I got pretty well. I invested in a home. I got me a house and lot. I own ten acres in the bush.\r\n\r\nComparing the condition of the colored population here with an equal number of families of white laborers, I think they are about equal in means.\r\n\r\nSlavery is abominable,\u2014I think slaveholders know it is wrong: they are an intelligent people and they know it. They ought to have done their duty,\u2014given\u00a0me my freedom and something to live on for what myself and forefathers had earned. I do n't see how a man can obtain heaven, and continue to do as the slaveholders do. A man may do wrong a long time and repent,\u2014but if he continues it, as they do, I think it a hard case for him.","rendered":"

I was from Millwood, Frederic Co., Virginia. I was brought up by Col. N\u2014’s widow. I remained in\u00a0bondage until twenty-three, hired out at different places. I had very little chance to get money,\u2014perhaps two or three dollars a year. Usage was, compared with farming usage, good, as when I was hired out, there were restrictions, that I should be well used.<\/p>\n

It always appeared to me that I wanted to be free, and could be free. No person ever taught me so,\u2014it came naturally in my mind. Finally I saw that my case was pretty bad, if I was to live all my lifetime subject to be driven about at the will of another. When I thought of it, I felt wrathy at the white men. At length, I said\u2014this will not do\u2014if I stay here I shall kill somebody\u2014I’d better go.<\/p>\n

In 1834, my mistress being old, I feared that in event of her death, I might be placed on some farm, and be cruelly used. I sought out a chance to get off. I found friends among those who were in the interests of the slaveholders, and by their instructions reached Canada without trouble, and had the satisfaction of having a friend come too by my persuasion. He is in Canada, but I have not seen him since. I settled in Sandwich.<\/p>\n

I received on coming into the country neither victuals, clothes, nor money,\u2014I received only a welcome,\u2014that was all I wanted, and I was thankful to get it. I did just what work I could find to be done. I managed to save up what little I got pretty well. I invested in a home. I got me a house and lot. I own ten acres in the bush.<\/p>\n

Comparing the condition of the colored population here with an equal number of families of white laborers, I think they are about equal in means.<\/p>\n

Slavery is abominable,\u2014I think slaveholders know it is wrong: they are an intelligent people and they know it. They ought to have done their duty,\u2014given\u00a0me my freedom and something to live on for what myself and forefathers had earned. I do n’t see how a man can obtain heaven, and continue to do as the slaveholders do. A man may do wrong a long time and repent,\u2014but if he continues it, as they do, I think it a hard case for him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-268","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":264,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":462,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/268\/revisions\/462"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/264"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/268\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=268"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=268"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/therefugee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}