Austin Steward (1793-1869) was an African-American author and abolitionist. Born into slavery, he managed to escape from Virginia aged 21 and moved to Rochester, New York before settling in Canada. -Twenty-Two Years a Slave - And Forty Years a Freeman- is Steward''s astonishing 1856 autobiography within which he recounts the travails of his harrowing life as a slave in America, as well as his experiences as a free man. A compelling and heart-breaking slave narrative that will appeal to those with an interest in this dark chapter of American history. Contents include: -Slave Life on the Plantation-, -At the Great House-, -Horse-Racing and its Consequences-, -Journey to our New Home in New York-, -Incidents at Sodus Bay-, -Removal from Sodus to Bath-, -Dueling-, -Horse-Racing and General Training-, -Death Bed and Bridal Scenes-, -Hired out to a New Master-, etc. Read & Co. History is proud to be republishing this classic memoir now in a new edition with an introductory poem by Phillis Wh
