James L. Smith

Born in the Northern Neck of Virginia, James L. Smith experienced all the terrors of slavery, despite the fact that he managed to carve out some independence from his master. As he grew older, he realized that his fellow slaves had many other ways of striking out on their own, one of the most effective being conversion to the Christian religion. In their own church, and during their own prayer meetings, slaves could give full expression to their sorrows, fears, and yearnings. Smith found his own conversion to be the most powerful experience of his life, one that fortified him against a hard life and the unjust treatment of his owners.

Iran the shop for one year, during which time my young master became jealous of me. He thought I was making more money for myself than for...