The reading of Celia, A Slave bye Melton A. McLaurin conducted for the American History three course closely relates to the information learned in the classroom. In Celia, A Slave 1 McLaurin teaches his readers about Celia, who was a slave, and her dreadful experience on June twenty third in eighteen fifty five, with her Master Robert Newsom, A wealthy farmer in Callaway County. McLaurin doesn't talk to much about Celia's past before her and Newsom. He speaks of the events of debating about slavery in Missouri and in the other states at the time the book was placed. In this tragic book McLaurin talks the events that lead up to the night of June twenty third, the tragic event on June twenty third, and the trial and events that occurred after that event. .
In Chapter one of Celia, A Slave it begins by telling the readers about Robert Newsom, Celia's Master, and about his life prior to Celia. Robert Newsom left the state of Virginia in 1820 and moved westward through some of the newly created territories of the southwest. Robert Newsom, like many other settlers of the west, came to Missouri between 1819 and 1822 in search of wealth and a better life for him and his family. "Robert had made his westward journey with his wife, whose name we do not know, and son Harry and daughter Virginia both of whom were born in Virginia." (2) The Newsom's settled in Callaway County by eighteen twenty two where Robert built his farm at. During the time that Robert Newsom and family settled there, Callaway County was gaining more and more farmers to its rich and fertile land. In Callaway County in the year of eighteen fifty there were one hundred and seventy nine slave holders and one hundred and twenty non slaveholders. The eighteen fifty census showed that typically the slave holders of Callaway County had a much higher valued farms then non slaveholders. In eighteen fifty five Newsom owned eight hundred acres of land which almost half of which was improved land, which was worth thirty five hundred dollars.
