The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave

by John Thompson

Born into slavery on a Maryland plantation, John Thompson spent the first twenty-five years of his life in bondage before escaping to the North. His fear of recapture drove him to a soul-searching new chapter of his life. He joined the crew of the Milwood, a whaling vessel on which Thompson would spend more than two years working and traveling the world.

In this unique slave narrative, Thompson not only explores the brutal realities of the antebellum South but also provides a transcendent spiritual accounting of his own internal life. A testament to the resiliency of the human spirit and the powers of faith, The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave is a singular chronicle of the African American experience.

Revised Previously published as The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave, this edition of The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Genres: History, African American, Memoir, Classics, Nonfiction

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1856

Reviews

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say this is "standard fare" as far as narratives of escaped slaves go, but it kind of is. We get an overview of several key moments in Thompson's life, but there's no real depth or examination of them. We get his early life as a slave, which had its own ups and downs, and then his escape to the north, and eventually, fearing recapture, he takes to the sea by lying about being a steward to secure a position on a vessel. There is quite a lot of preaching in this as well. If that's what gave him strength to go on, more power to him.

[Andrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am no longer surprised by humanity's destructive potential because, for all types of barbarism, it is enough to be human. In this autobiographical work, John Thompson recorded real events that marked 25 years of his life as a slave. Objectified as property, it was sold to countless buyers and suffered all kinds of abuse.
Impossible not to be moved by such a credible account of human cruelty against members of the same species. Rescued from the 19th century by the Amazon Classics label, the work proves essential in such dark days.
In reality, what is known about John Thompson is only the records provided in his autobiography. He was one of seven children born into slavery on the Wagar plantation in Maryland (1812), where he remained until his owner's death. He sold to work from farm to ranch until he was arrested. After fleeing, he and other fugitives joined a whaling ship, staying at sea for several years before returning home.

[Issadora · Rating 3 out of 5]

overcoming enslavement escaping and preaching

I’m a very religious person. Definitely fall under the Christian faith. The reason I write this in my 1st line is made evident latter in this review

I’ve been reading quite a few books in regards to American slavery (i.e., twelve years a slave, Langton Hughes , WEB Dubois). All have been profound for My somewhat destitute waters about the deeper history of My people that I and unfortunately, sure many others have too.

This book was good but I feel that twelve years a slave and the autobiography of Langston Hughes are both so moving, inclusive of all that Mr John Thompson shared too. If anything, it may help provide yet another person’s experience that parallels the experiences in slavery that each personally experienced and observed.

The other books allude to the spiritual hold that the slaves frequently relied on and also the religion being used by slave masters to justify their heinous behaviors. Langston Hughes definitely combines some scripture in his experiences.

I felt Mr Thompson’s book was equally religious as it was sharing his experiences. There is A-LOT of scriptures and interpretations. As a Bible reader and Christian, I can appreciate, however, even with my faith, I became annoyed enough to give 3/5 stars. The last chapter is basically a great analogy using his sailing voyage but it’s seriously PREACHING. It’s progresses throughout but towards the end, I felt he was on the pulpit!!

I did appreciate that he actually used God’s name, Jehovah and his son, Jesus Christ who gave his life … even tho these facts are within the scriptures in MOST standard Bibles. Still, it’s often missed.

Anyways, this book contributes well to the real and non-idealized of what real slaves who successfully escaped (barely) and helps to validate the extreme horror of slavery as best as we can try to relate

[Matt Sautman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written 4 years after Harriet Beecher-Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave mirrors Beecher-Stowe's central claim without the amount of problematic implications that accompany Beecher-Stowe's central piece of work. This claim is that Christian morality holds the secret to overthrowing slavery. The execution of this claim is where Thompson and Beecher-Stowe differs. Whereas Beecher-Stowe argues that following a Christian morality requires that "we" should all work together to abolish slavery so that good Christians like Tom and Eliza do not become victims of an un-Christian system, Thompson argues that Christian faith leads to one's escape from slavery. This of course brings about a new set of problematic aspects to the core argument of Thompson's narrative. Thompson presents his escape from freedom as a gift from Providence, but there is not a case given as to why other Christian slaves never escaped their bondage as he has. The other problematic aspect of the novel is what I find to be more interesting. During the last portion of the book, when John Thompson begins to work as a whaler, he travels around and documents some of the people he encounters. In doing so, we begin to see Thompson exhibit a colonial mind all in his own. This is not to say that Thompson becomes a colonizer himself, but this ability to see a marginalizing gaze through the perspective of a man who is marginalized by another system is rich for analysis. I have read other slave narratives that I have found myself more engulfed in, but I would be lying if I did not say I quite enjoyed this rather brief novel(la).

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before the writings of Alice Walker or Alex Hayley stands the autobiographical accounts from such as William Andrews, Henry Bibb, Henry 'Box' Brown, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs and Booker T. Washington. 'The Life of John Thompson, a Fugitive Slave:Containing His History of 25 Years in Bondage,and His Providential Escape', is another unique narrative in this genre. First published in 1856 and in the Penquin Classic series in 2011.
A quick read, just over one hundred pages, this mans life story seems like ancient history and yet was within a century of my own birth. It makes me think that in some ways, we 21st century beans have come a long way, yet, in other ways, hardly advanced at all.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about a slave in the South pre-Civil War. It covers types of jobs slave did, sizes of plantations and how badly slaves were treated by most 'masters.' The types of things that the bad owners did to slaves are truly disgusting with some examples being given.

The book goes into the various places he worked on, how he decided to flee, how difficult is journey too a safe haven was and how he ended up on a wailing ship out of fear of being hunted down by slave hunters.

The time on the ship is covered and the types of things that he did and the realky long journey the ship made before he got back to the United States.

One thing that comes very strongly through is his intense religious belief, shown in things he said and lyrics of religious songs.

Very educational book.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting narrative by a man who learned as a child to read and write, though a slave. He wa able therefore to write his own account of his time as a slave, his escape to freedom, what it was like finally to work for himself, his marriage and his bold signing onto a whaling ship as steward despite his very meager experience in the tasks involved— and absolutely no experience aboard ship. Published in 1856.

[Pitt Panther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Interesting account of an enslaved man who is moved from plantation to plantation and eventually escapes slavery. His tale details the horrors of slavery

[Alaska · Rating 3 out of 5]

L3 English major university reading.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slave narrative with a twist. Thompson, after he escaped, signed onto a whaling voyage from New Bedford. So a little bit of Moby Dick added to the usual mix.