The New Man: Twenty-nine years a slave, twenty-nine years a free man

"The New Man: Twenty-nine years a slave, twenty-nine years a free man" by Henry Clay Bruce is a late 19th-century memoir offering a first-hand account of slavery as the author lived it. The book chronicles Bruce’s life, contrasting his experiences in bondage with his life after emancipation. Bruce shares a range of experiences from his time as a slave, showing how the treatment from masters varied greatly, where some behaved with kindness, while others were cruel. He also looks at how the backgrounds of slaves influenced their attitudes and behavior, while recounting key events and relationships that shaped him during his early life.