Reviewing Jourdon Anderson's Letter to His Former Slavery Master

In August of 1864, Union Army soldiers freed Jourdon Anderson and Amanda, his wife, from a life of slavery spent on a plantation in which they had served their master for a miserable 32 years. The couple fled to Ohio in hopes that the opportunity for paid work would arise. A year later, Patrick Henry Anderson, the prior master of Jourdon, sent a distressed letter to him pleading that he would rescue his ailing business by serving him again.

The response that Jourdon gave to the one who had deprived him and his enslaved family of vitalities and made sure his life was never near the equality of the life a white man lived was filled with grace and well-wishing despite how wretched his master had been to him for a consecutive 32 years.

This letter addresses several different issues that made an impression on the readers. Jourdon expresses his skepticism that his former master would actually change the way he treated his slaves. The treatment of African Americans during this time period was usually along the lines of cruelty and abuse. Jourdon makes a bold statement that being under control of a white master was never liked by any slave. Slaves were frequently beat, threatened, and occasionally executed. He also tackles that mutual trust was nonexistent which resulted in him inquiring that as an indication of true trust and gratitude, money for his prior service was preferred. In addition, due to the fury and rage slaves had for their previous owners, the response would be expected to be unforgiving and harsh making Jourdon’s letter, a very bold statement and reflection on his character. In the letter, Jourdon doesn’t oppose the offer up front but instead he questions the intentions of his and his growing family’s welfare, security and financial means if he were to return as they were currently living a stable life.

In this time period, newly freed slaves had to persist in a world that turned against them leaving them with no other choice than to be brave. The concept of free labor was absurd to some white individuals thus putting a stress on freed slaves to survive. In other cases, not only did the culprits accept this idea but the victims did as well due to living in fear and mistreatment for so long making this the vilest feature of slavery. The life of inequality was brainwashed into many slave’s heads as they had never known a life otherwise.

In conclusion, Jourdon Anderson never actually returned to serve for his prior master. In 1907, at age 81, he passed away. Six years later so did his wife and they were buried alongside each other. I suppose that this could also serve as an example of karma. In return for the grace and forgiveness he had given the one who had controlled his life for 32 years making every day almost unbearable, he got to live a long life surrounded with the people who meant the most to him.