James Bradley (former slave)

**James Bradley** (c.1810 – after 1837) na he be an African slave insyd de United States wey na he purchase ein freedom wey he cam be an anti-slavery activist insyd Ohio.

Na Bradley be two anaa three years old wen na he be enslaved den transported to de United States, wer na he be purchased by a Mr. Bradley of Pendleton County, Kentucky; na he subsequently move plus de Bradley family to de Arkansas Territory. While na he dey work days as a slave, na Bradley begin dey work give einself thru de night. Insyd 1833, after eight years, na he purchase ein freedom wey na he go Cincinnati insyd de free state of Ohio.

Na Bradley associate einself plus Lane Seminary wey he play a central role insyd de Lane Debates on Slavery insyd 1834. As de result of Bradley ein moving speech, na students rally to organize educational opportunities give blacks wey na dem sought to integrate plus de community. Na de Board of Trustees of de Seminary then shut down anti-slavery activity, wich na e result in at least forty people, dem know as de Lane Rebels, leaving as a group. Na Oberlin, Ohio, be de beneficiary; e cam be a racially diverse community den a center give anti-slavery efforts. Na Bradley move to Oberlin plus de oda Rebels. Na he study for a year insyd an affiliated preparatory school of Oberlin College, de Sheffield Manual Labor Institute.

Na Bradley wrep an autobiographical statement wey dey provide much of information wey be known about ein time of slavery den escape. Na dem know nothing of ein life after 1837. Der be no known image of anaa physical description of am.

## Slavery

### Kiddie time
According to Bradley, na he live insyd Guinea, a region of West Africa, wen na dem capture am as a two- anaa three-year-old kiddie. Na he later say of de experience, "na de soul-destroyers tear me from my mommie ein arms." Na dem take am on a long overland journey before dem put am on board a ship bound for America. Na de ship be full of chained adult African men den women, buh na dem allow am free run of de deck secof na he be too small to be chained. Na dem bring am to America illegally, since na de legal importation of slaves end insyd 1808.

After ein arrival at de port of Charleston, South Carolina, na dem purchase am by a slaveholder, wey dem bring am to Pendleton County, Kentucky wey na dem sell am about six months later to a man dem name Bradley, from whom na he take ein name.Na he be enslaved plus Mr. Bradley ein family insyd Pendleton County. Although na Bradley wrep dat na dem consider ein owner a kind master secof na dem no dey beat am wey na he get enough to chop, na Bradley state say na kick den throw am around as a young kiddie. Wen na he dey nine years old, na dem hit am so hard dat na dem knock am unconscious for a time wey na ein owner think say he kill am. As a fifteen-year-old, na he cam be very sick secof overwork, wich make ein owner vex. In addition, na de Bradley kiddies make threatening gestures at times plus knives den axes. Na he workevery hard, dey start work at sunrise wey he no dey fini til na e be dark.From de time na he dey fourteen years old, na he think incessantly about how he fi obtain ein freedom.

Na he teach einself make he read easy words den to spell wenever na he fi from a spelling book wey na he acquire den keep insyd ein hat.Na he convince one of de owner ein sons make he teach am to write. Na ein mistress find out about am on de second night of instruction. Na she chastise ein son, dey tell am dat if na he fi write, na he fi write a pass make he help am escape. Na Bradley practice on ein own after dat.

Na he move plus de Bradley family to Arkansas shortly after na he turn fifteen.Na dem live near de Choctaw mission den Fort Towson insyd modern Oklahoma, wich na then e dey insyd de Arkansas Territory. After Mr. Bradley die, na ein widow make young James run ein plantation.

### Plan to purchase ein freedom
Na one of de lessons wey na he learn as an enslaved person be make he always deny any interest in desiring freedom, secof na he know e go result in rough treatment. Buh, na obtaining freedom be a strong, heart-breaking desire.

Na he develop a plan to buy ein freedom. Na he work all day, wey he get a few hours of sleep, den then while na oda bed, na he pursue chaw endeavors make he make money.Na he start by he dey use corn husks to weave collars for horses.Na he find a balance between maximizing how much time na he fi able to work at night den dey get enough sleep wey na he no go be too weak to work during de day.After eight years, na he be able to purchase ein freedom insyd 1833 for $700 (equivalent to $22,808 insyd 2024).Na he get anoda $200 (equivalent to $6,517 insyd 2024) make he start ein new life.

## Freedom

Upon achieving ein freedom, na he head for a free state.Na he visit for a time insyd Northern Kentucky wey he go Covington, Kentucky, wer na he cross de Ohio River wey divide de slave states den de free states. Na he arrive at Cincinnati, Ohio.

## Education den anti-slavery efforts

### Lane Seminary
Desiring make he cam be a minister, na dem admit Bradley to Lane Seminary on May 28, 1833. De first African-American student at Lane, na he say dat na dem no treat am differently secof de color of ein skin.Na Lyman Beecher, de presido of Lane, instruct students at de seminary make dem be careful in de way na dem dey interact plus black people. Na der be sam students wey no dey believe insyd abolition of slavery, so wen na Lyman Beecher invite students to ein home, na Bradley feel say e be wiser make he no attend. Na Beecher no dey understand na e no be enough to model careful behavior; na he think say na Bradley no cam to de event secof na he be timid.

While at Lane, na Bradley be de institute ein coordinator for rescuing slaves insyd dema quest to be free. Na he help dem cross de Ohio River wey na he make dema way towards Ontario, Canada. Insyd 1834, na dem print ein testimonial insyd *The Oasis*, an annual wey Lydia Maria Child edit.

### Lane Seminary debates

William Garrison, publisher de anti-slavery newspaper, *The Liberator*, na he publish a book insyd 1832 wey offer *Thoughts on African Colonization, Or, An Impartial Exhibition of the Doctrines, Principles and Purposes of the American Colonization Society*. Insyd both, na he attack de American Colonization Society den ein intended strategy make dem send free blacks to Africa. Na Garrison say de Society be "pernicious, cruel, den delusive".At de time, na chaw white Americans believe say na whites den blacks no fi live togeda as equals. Na dem think say e go be better make dem establish colonies insyd Africa give former slaves den convey dem to de colonies on ships. Na dem create Liberia by those wey dey believe in colonization give repatriated slaves. On de other hand, na abolitionists see slavery as morally wrong den dat slaves for be emancipated as soon as possible.

### Sheffield Manual Labor Institute
Na Bradley go plus de oda Lane Rebels to Oberlin Collegiate Institute (later Oberlin College) insyd 1835. Na he enrol insyd 1836 insyd a satellite school Oberlin wey be set up to handle de great influx of students: se Sheffield Manual Labor Institute, insyd Sheffield, Ohio,  northeast of Oberlin. Na Sheffield get a high school level curriculum dem combine plus manual labor. Na der be a plan make dem raise silkworms to create silk. Na de plan no be successful wey de school close after a year, in part secof na e refuse to be a segregated school as be required by recent Ohio legislation.

Unfortunately, dem know nothing about Bradley ein life after 1837. Na de final reference to am dey insyd a letter dat year of anoda Lane Rebel, C. Stewart Renshaw, wey dey refer to am as "our dear brother". Na he fi be de "negro, late of Sheffield College", wey help insyd de liberation of fourteen slaves from one plantation.

## Legacy

Na Bradley ein speech be an example of de power of including people wey be directly involved insyd a situation to speak to dema issues den desires. Generally ebe people wey get power—secof education, dema profession, anaa wealth—wey dey speak to social issues den potential solutions. Na Bradley show say people wey be directly involved for be part of de discourse.

De controversy wey dey surround de debates—secof Bradley ein effectiveness as a speaker—"give voice" to de anti-slavery movement, particularly as na Weld den about 40 oda Lane Rebels move go Oberlin den de college cam be a leader insyd de abolitionist movement. Na students at oda colleges den universities initiate discussions about free speech at dema campuses.

## Statue den plaque

Na dem erect a statue of Bradley insyd 1988 by de Greater Cincinnati Bicentennial Commission insyd Covington, Kentucky at roughly de place wey na Bradley cross de Ohio River to Cincinnati. De statue, wey George Danhires make, dey show Bradley dey sit on a riverfront bench, wey na he dey face north across de Ohio River to Cincinnati, while he dey read a book. Na dem vote am one of de top five interesting statues insyd de greater Cincinnati area insyd 2014. Insyd 2016, na dem restore de statue.

## Media portrayal

Bradley dey appear as a character insyd de 2019 movie *Sons & Daughters of Thunder*, about de Lane Debates, wey be based on a play by Earlene Hawley den Curtis Heeter.

## References


## External links

* Trailer for ''Sons & Daughters of Thunder''