Narrative of the Life of J.D. Green, a Runaway Slave, from Kentucky

A gripping first‑person account, this narrative follows the early life of a young man born into bondage on a Maryland plantation. From childhood chores and the terror of watching his mother sold away, he recounts the daily humiliations and brutal logic that kept enslaved people under constant threat. His voice captures both the quiet moments of survival—such as a desperate drink of poison that oddly saved his life—and the growing awareness of the cruelty around him.

Beyond his youth, the work chronicles three daring escapes that took him from Kentucky to freedom, each driven by a fierce longing to reunite with family and claim his humanity. After gaining liberty, he becomes a compelling speaker, traveling to schools and churches to share the horrors he endured and to rally anti‑slavery sentiment. Listeners will hear a vivid portrait of resilience, the stark realities of the ante‑bellum South, and the powerful testimony of a man who turned personal suffering into a call for justice.