Freeborn Slave

by Jasper Rastus Nall

Throughout his life, Jasper Nall was transfixed by the stories his mother and grandmother told—stories of the family’s origins and plantation life in Alabama and the Carolinas. These he recorded with his own recollections in this series of dictated memoirs transcribed by his daughter Maude in 1936.

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Cheryl Gatling]

This book is a small gem of oral history. J.R. Nall, born 1863-ish, dictated his memoir to his daughter. He begins with family stories passed down from his grandmother's time. These slavery-era stories are dramatic vignettes of families separated by being sold apart, betrayal (as his grandmother had been promised her freedom on her 21st birthday, but was denied it), and beatings, most horribly his grandmother being mauled by attack dogs, and being scarred for life. But there are also more complex stories of mutual master-and-slave affection, trust, and help. When J.R. Nall begins to narrate his own life he mostly concentrates on his desire to raise not just himself but his whole family from the laboring to the professional class. He went at this goal by being a smart business man (from selling bottles of ink as a teenager, to farming livestock, to running a butcher business), by marrying a like-minded woman (with a little help from the voice of God), and by education, mostly by education. The greatest accomplishment of his life was campaigning to have a high school built in a county that had none. He ends the book by proudly describing the careers of the pharmacists, teachers, and musicians who came after him. My first reaction was to be grateful that the Nall family (and history) has these stories, that someone did take the time to write them down and publish them. My second is to wish that there were more. There are glimpses here into the ways of a bygone people and bygone time, but just as much that is left out. I was surprised how much Mr. Nall did not have to say about Southern racism. It was there, of course, in a prejudiced store-owner who wouldn't buy meat from a black butcher, and taxis who wouldn't carry a black passenger, but Nall seems to view this as an inconvenience to work around. He is moved to rage by the story of the dog-mauling of his grandmother, but when a group of hired thugs with monkey-wrenches try to prevent his Colored Republicans club from voting, he remains unfazed. He tries, as much as possible, to be on friendly terms with everyone. I found that I did admire J.R. Nall. Obviously, as he was telling his own story, he got to put his best self forward, but he comes across as capable of playful humor (driving a wagon while perched on a rocking chair), yet serious about his goals, a man of faith without being obnoxious about it, ambitious without being selfish and grasping. I found myself wishing there were a way to encourage more people today to have more of these qualities.

[Rebecca Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing a glimpse into the lives of African Americans in the late 1800s. It was so simple but I just couldn’t put it down. Plus, it was written by me great-great-great uncle, so I’m biased! It is definitely something that I feel has been missing in black history.

[Amanda Stricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so good to read the telling of my family history!