Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

In 1825, at approximately age 8, Jordan Anderson (sometimes spelled “Jordon”) was sold into slavery and served the Anderson family for 39 years. In 1864, the Union Army camped on the Anderson plantation, liberating Jordan and his wife, Amanda.

The couple eventually made it safely to Dayton, Ohio, where, in July 1865, Jordan received a letter from his former owner, Colonel P.H. Anderson. The letter kindly asked Jordan to return to work on the plantation because it had fallen into disarray during the war.


On Aug. 7, 1865, Jordan dictated his response through his new boss, Valentine Winters, and it was published in the Cincinnati Commercial. The letter, entitled “Letter from a Freedman to His Old Master," was not only hilarious but showed compassion, defiance, and dignity.

That year, the letter was republished in the New York Daily Tribune and Lydia Maria Child's “The Freedman's Book.”

The letter mentions a “Miss Mary" (Col. Anderson's Wife), “Martha" (Col. Anderson's daughter), Henry (most likely Col. Anderson's son), and George Carter (a local carpenter).

Dayton, Ohio
August 7, 1865
To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee.

Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jordon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again, promising to do better for me than anybody else can.
I have often felt uneasy about you. I thought the Yankees would have hung you long before this, for harboring Rebs they found at your house.
Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt, and am glad you are still living.
I get twenty-five dollars a month, with victuals and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy — the folks call her Mrs. Anderson — and the children, Milly, Jane, and Grundy, go to school and are learning well.

As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score, as I got my free papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marshal-General of the Department of Nashville.
Mandy says she would be afraid to go back without some proof that you were disposed to treat us justly and kindly; and we have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you.
This will make us forget and forgive old scores, and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years.
Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor's visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy, and the balance will show what we are in justice entitled to.
We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers, in making us toil for you for generations without recompense.
From your old servant,
Jordon Anderson

The article originally appeared last year.

More For You

A hotel room door, ajar.

Representative Image: It's important to keep safety in mind when checking into a hotel.

This viral post exposes a scary hotel security flaw, but there’s a simple way to stay safe

A TikTok video once raised alarms about hotel room security after demonstrating a device that could open doors from the outside. User braccozz posted a clip showing how a simple twisted wire could be inserted under a door, looped around the handle, and pulled to open the door. The video gained over 13.4 million views before being deleted, but not before sparking widespread concern.

"If you ever see this come under the door, run IMMEDIATELY."

— @braccozz

One woman’s real-life encounter with the hotel door hack

Before the original video disappeared, it reached TikTok user josiebowers10, who shared a terrifying experience from her teenage years. Bowers, from Canada, recalled how someone tried to break into her hotel room using the same method when she was 15 years old and on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland.

Keep ReadingShow less
woman reading book in tent

Ah, reading!

Photo by Lê Tân on Unsplash

People share the 46 books that helped them get through really hard times

Books have the power to heal. Reading stories that expand your mind and introduce new ideas can be a powerful tool to help you overcome hard times in life. So when a woman struggling opened up to complete strangers for book recommendations to help her through, they delivered.

"Looking for a book that can help me through a really hard time in life right now," she shared. "I’m going though a lot of changes and grief in my life right now. Getting very depressed and it’s hard for me to keep positive. I’m looking for a book that changed your life? Something that helps with perspective and makes you think." These are 46 of the best books that have helped people get through hard times.

Keep ReadingShow less
wedding, wedding surprise, wedding speech

Bride surprises husband with student messages at wedding reception.

Euphoria Films/Instagram

Bride surprises groom with sweet recorded messages from his students at their wedding reception

Wedding reception speeches are always tearjerkers. And for Australian newlyweds Ryan and Chelsea Cox, their reception speech had the entire wedding crying. In a touching Instagram video shared by Euphoria Films, bride Chelsea surprises her new groom Ryan with a heartwarming surprise from his students.

"You are exactly in the career you're meant to be. Making a real difference. You should be so proud of the love, the care and support you bring to their lives," Chelsea says in the beginning of the speech. "I know how much you wanted them here today, so I'm just sharing a little love from your Class 5 Red."

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman’s job interview takes a turn when she shares her love for sci-fi
Cover image source: Pexels | Pixabay; Reddit

Woman’s job interview takes a turn when she shares her love for sci-fi

Job interviews are nerve-wracking experiences, and even the most prepared candidates can face rejection for unexpected reasons. While some employers turn applicants away for valid concerns, others seem to base their decisions on trivial factors. One Reddit user, u/Alikona_05, shared a frustrating hiring experience where a highly qualified candidate was rejected simply because of her hobbies.

The post, which has received over 1.9K upvotes and 211 comments, described how their boss was looking for a temporary employee to fill in during a medical leave. Since the boss had a scheduling conflict, the Reddit user was asked to sit in on the interview alongside a senior coworker—whom they described as a "boomer."

Keep ReadingShow less
wedding, wedding day, wedding ceremony
man in blue suit kissing woman in white wedding dress

Bride shares 8 'controversial' things she did on her wedding day to buck traditional norms

Weddings these days tend to follow the same formula. From the rehearsal dinner and speeches, to the wedding ceremony and reception, these special days can feel monotonous. But one bride and groom chose to make the day truly 'theirs' with some controversial choices. Content creator Alex Hazen and her husband Matt decided to do things different during their wedding.

In a recent Instagram post, Hazen decided shared to share "'controversial' things my husband and I did on our wedding day," adding in the post's caption, "moral of the story is to do what’s best for YOU & your marriage - I promise you won’t regret it 🍰."

Keep ReadingShow less