NewsVine_Mariyam
Platinum Member
- Mar 3, 2018
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Slavery was abolished by the passage of the 13th amendment when it was ratified in December 1865.So if her parents were slaves, even if they were barely born in 1865 and had her at fifteen, she would have been born in 1880. That would make her over a hundred years old when you met her. The numbers don’t match up.
My cousin was born July 13th 1888 and died July 30th 1987 at age 99. Her mother was born in 1855 10 years before the end of slavery and was 33 when her daughter was born.
I met her in 1984 when she visited my parent's home in the months shortly after they had all gathered in Charleston for a family reunion, just 3 years before she passed.
I know it sounds unbelievable and such a long time ago but having met her in person bridges that gap. She wrote this at the beginning of the book:
"The Middletons were unusual, because many of them came out of slavery with education"
and on the last page, this regarding the family union in August 1984..."Eighty people finally came, some from Pennsylvania, where one of the uncles had moved his family years ago, and others from California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Texas. Like many American families, ours had dispersed itself clear across the continent; only the new activism toward reconnection with the past could make the family discover itself and its home. Those who came home ranged from 4 years to past sixty. They spent delightful hours over delicious meals discovering one another attainments. 'Those children chose the theme "Excellence through Education'" Grandmother will tell you and and it really does fit. We were a group of many professions; we had at least four Ph.D.'s; one of our women cousins has a radio program; and we had two lay ministers to lead prayers Friday night. Now, what do you say about that?"