Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut

"Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut" by James Mars is a powerful story of one man's fight for freedom from slavery in the Northern United States. Mars tells his own story, starting with his early life as a slave in Connecticut and the difficulties his family faced, especially when threatened with being taken to the South by an unscrupulous minister. The story highlights his father's brave efforts to escape, the family's move to Norfolk for safety, and the constant threat of being sold and separated. Mars's account focuses on the everyday realities of slavery, the moral questions it raised, and how people either helped or stood in the way of his family's freedom. Finally, he looks back on his life, making a case that slavery existed in the North and that the journey towards equality for African Americans has been a long and difficult struggle.