John Andrew Jackson
Encyclopedia
John Andrew Rhodes Jackson was born on a Country plantation
in Sumter County, South Carolina. His grandfather was a stolen slave from Africa
. John Andrew's mother was named Betty and his father was known as Dr. Clavern, because of his ability to cure snake bites. John Andrew had five brothers and five sisters. Before he left the plantation, two brothers and two sisters were dead.
root and started to play with it. The mistress’s son started hitting John Andrew with the stick. When John asked the boy to stop; the boy continued to beat John until he was bloody. When John reached for the hickory root with a bloody hand, he smeared blood on the boy’s shirt. The little boy went to his mother and showed her the blood on his shirt. In return, the mistress whipped John and held her hatred for him and his family for the rest of the time she knew him.
John Andrew grew up surrounded by brutality. If he was not getting whipped, a friend or family member of his would be getting whipped. The plantation where John lived was overseen by a violent and unforgiving master. The slaves would wake up and work in the fields all day in the hot sun. The sun would burn lumps on their backs, and their bare feet would be torn and cracked by the end of the day. When the slaves did not obey their masters, they would be punished with 25-100 lashes. The brutal lumps obtained by the heat of the sun, combined with the lashes from the whip, were awful and painful. What little sleep the slaves did get was cherished. However rats
would come in the middle of the night and chew on the slaves' feet. Since the slaves' feet were so torn up from working barefoot all day, they could not feel the rats eat through their feet. In the morning, their feet were in so much pain it was hard to work.
John Andrew’s first job was being a scarecrow
in the corn fields. He would stand out from dusk until dawn everyday posing as a scarecrow in the hot Carolina air. When he got older he was ordered to manage the plow, but due to his lack of strength, he was unable to manage the plow correctly. If John Andrew ever dropped the plow his master would beat him until his back was covered in blood. Even though he was experiencing so much hardship, around this time, John fell in love with a girl named Louisa.
and lived his young life as a Quaker. When the master was older, he moved to South Carolina
and married a woman who had a few slaves. The master then set up a liquor store and had slaves steal cotton
and bring it to him. In return, the slaves were rewarded with a quart of liquor, which was worth much less than the cotton the slaves stole for him. The method of stealing cotton in exchange for objects of less worth made many southern men rich. The master and his wife were then able to own more slaves and become even more rich.
The mistress was born and raised in South Carolina. She was a mean lady to everyone except her family. The mistress would not allow slaves to eat bran
, meat, or any other foods that were considered luxurious. And she would often watch the slaves being beaten, as it was among one of her favorite pastimes.
. John never saw his wife or children again. In 1846, after John Andrew was separated from his wife, he fled slavery. Later after he escaped to Canada
, he remarried and had two more children with his second wife.
from one of the slaves on a neighboring plantation. When the mistress found out, she threatened to have the pony killed, and asked two of her son-in-laws to get rid of it. Hearing of the jeopardy of his pony, John hid the pony until Christmas. On Christmas Day, John took his pony and rode off from his plantation never to see his mother or father again. As he rode off to Boston
, he ran into many white people who asked where he was off, to where John would respond that he was on his way to his plantation. John made it to the Santé Fe River where he boarded a small ship that was being run by a black man. John and his pony were dropped near land, but had to struggle upstream in order to reach it. After almost drowning, John and his pony made it to shore.
Then, John heard about a special badge that all African Americans had to produce in order to prove they were allowed to be free. John, not having a badge, sold his pony to buy a cloak
to hide from patrolmen. The cloak worked to his advantage till he was able to find a ship to Boston.
When John found a ship heading to Boston, he tried to board but the crewmen refused to let John on board. The crewmen were afraid that he was working for a white man and trying to set them up. After being refused passage, John hid in a five by three foot box that was loaded onto the ship and put in the lower levels. Eventually the crewmen found him and threatened to unload him on the next ship. There never was another ship, and John made it to Boston safely.
From Boston, John Andrew went on to settle in Salem, Massachusetts
. Once settled, he sought to purchase his family members still enslaved. He sent a letter to inquire about his family, and shortly after it was received, a slave agent was sent to search for him. Jackson avoided capture and was assisted by Harriet Beecher Stowe
, who gave him food, clothes, and five dollars. He left Salem for Canada.
tanner and part-time sawmill
operator until the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law rekindled his fear of being returned to slavery. He escaped with help to Canada.
Once in Canada, John Andrew settled in Saint John, New Brunswick
. He remarried legally and had more children.
Still seeking to purchase his family members in slavery, in 1857, he journeyed to Great Britain
with his wife to solicit contributions. He lectured in Scotland
and England
with several others, including: David Guthrie
, Rev. Thomas Candlish and Julia Griffiths
.
John Andrew and his wife lived in London
, England until after the American Civil War
ended. Eventually they returned to live in South Carolina.
He never saw his mother, father, first wife, or children again, but his freedom was the beauty of his life, and he never regretted leaving his life of torture.
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
in Sumter County, South Carolina. His grandfather was a stolen slave from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. John Andrew's mother was named Betty and his father was known as Dr. Clavern, because of his ability to cure snake bites. John Andrew had five brothers and five sisters. Before he left the plantation, two brothers and two sisters were dead.
Early life
Jackson had a bad relationship with his owner and mistress, as many slaves did, but often mentioned that his mistress hated him more than any other slave on the plantation. The reason for the mistress’s hatred toward John was that when John was about ten, he was playing with one of the mistresses children in the dirt. The two boys found an old hickoryHickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
root and started to play with it. The mistress’s son started hitting John Andrew with the stick. When John asked the boy to stop; the boy continued to beat John until he was bloody. When John reached for the hickory root with a bloody hand, he smeared blood on the boy’s shirt. The little boy went to his mother and showed her the blood on his shirt. In return, the mistress whipped John and held her hatred for him and his family for the rest of the time she knew him.
John Andrew grew up surrounded by brutality. If he was not getting whipped, a friend or family member of his would be getting whipped. The plantation where John lived was overseen by a violent and unforgiving master. The slaves would wake up and work in the fields all day in the hot sun. The sun would burn lumps on their backs, and their bare feet would be torn and cracked by the end of the day. When the slaves did not obey their masters, they would be punished with 25-100 lashes. The brutal lumps obtained by the heat of the sun, combined with the lashes from the whip, were awful and painful. What little sleep the slaves did get was cherished. However rats
RATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
would come in the middle of the night and chew on the slaves' feet. Since the slaves' feet were so torn up from working barefoot all day, they could not feel the rats eat through their feet. In the morning, their feet were in so much pain it was hard to work.
John Andrew’s first job was being a scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
in the corn fields. He would stand out from dusk until dawn everyday posing as a scarecrow in the hot Carolina air. When he got older he was ordered to manage the plow, but due to his lack of strength, he was unable to manage the plow correctly. If John Andrew ever dropped the plow his master would beat him until his back was covered in blood. Even though he was experiencing so much hardship, around this time, John fell in love with a girl named Louisa.
Master and Mistress
John Andrew’s master was born in North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and lived his young life as a Quaker. When the master was older, he moved to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and married a woman who had a few slaves. The master then set up a liquor store and had slaves steal cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and bring it to him. In return, the slaves were rewarded with a quart of liquor, which was worth much less than the cotton the slaves stole for him. The method of stealing cotton in exchange for objects of less worth made many southern men rich. The master and his wife were then able to own more slaves and become even more rich.
The mistress was born and raised in South Carolina. She was a mean lady to everyone except her family. The mistress would not allow slaves to eat bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
, meat, or any other foods that were considered luxurious. And she would often watch the slaves being beaten, as it was among one of her favorite pastimes.
Wife and Children
Louisa lived in the plantation about a mile away. John and Louisa were unofficially married and had two children. John was prohibited from visiting his wife and children, but John would often sneak out and be with his wife and kids. When the master would find out, John would be whipped, but John persisted and continued to see his wife and children until his wife’s master moved to GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. John never saw his wife or children again. In 1846, after John Andrew was separated from his wife, he fled slavery. Later after he escaped to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, he remarried and had two more children with his second wife.
Escape
As time progressed, the idea of freedom Raped became more and more real. One day, John Andrew bought a ponyPony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
from one of the slaves on a neighboring plantation. When the mistress found out, she threatened to have the pony killed, and asked two of her son-in-laws to get rid of it. Hearing of the jeopardy of his pony, John hid the pony until Christmas. On Christmas Day, John took his pony and rode off from his plantation never to see his mother or father again. As he rode off to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, he ran into many white people who asked where he was off, to where John would respond that he was on his way to his plantation. John made it to the Santé Fe River where he boarded a small ship that was being run by a black man. John and his pony were dropped near land, but had to struggle upstream in order to reach it. After almost drowning, John and his pony made it to shore.
Then, John heard about a special badge that all African Americans had to produce in order to prove they were allowed to be free. John, not having a badge, sold his pony to buy a cloak
Cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
to hide from patrolmen. The cloak worked to his advantage till he was able to find a ship to Boston.
When John found a ship heading to Boston, he tried to board but the crewmen refused to let John on board. The crewmen were afraid that he was working for a white man and trying to set them up. After being refused passage, John hid in a five by three foot box that was loaded onto the ship and put in the lower levels. Eventually the crewmen found him and threatened to unload him on the next ship. There never was another ship, and John made it to Boston safely.
From Boston, John Andrew went on to settle in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. Once settled, he sought to purchase his family members still enslaved. He sent a letter to inquire about his family, and shortly after it was received, a slave agent was sent to search for him. Jackson avoided capture and was assisted by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, who gave him food, clothes, and five dollars. He left Salem for Canada.
Freedom
In Salem, John was free but not safe. He worked as a leatherLeather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
tanner and part-time sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
operator until the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law rekindled his fear of being returned to slavery. He escaped with help to Canada.
Once in Canada, John Andrew settled in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
. He remarried legally and had more children.
Still seeking to purchase his family members in slavery, in 1857, he journeyed to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
with his wife to solicit contributions. He lectured in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with several others, including: David Guthrie
David Guthrie
David Henry Guthrie was a New Zealand politician of the Reform Party.He was the Minister of Railways in the Reform Government, and the Member of Parliament for Oroua from 1908 to 1925, when he retired....
, Rev. Thomas Candlish and Julia Griffiths
Julia Griffiths
Julia Griffiths was a British Abolitionist who worked with Frederick Douglass. The two met in [Newcastle-Upon-Tyne]] during Douglass' tour of the British Isles in 1845-47. In 1849, Griffiths joined Douglass Rochester Rochester, and edited, published and promoted many of his works...
.
John Andrew and his wife lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England until after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
ended. Eventually they returned to live in South Carolina.
He never saw his mother, father, first wife, or children again, but his freedom was the beauty of his life, and he never regretted leaving his life of torture.
External links
- The Experience of a Slave in South Carolina. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1862.