Outdated and inaccurate
This book offended me on so many levels. I bought it as part of a homeschool history curriculum - a fictional biography based on a real person and the real events of their life - and as such, expected it to be an accurate look at American slavery from the perspective of the slave.
Amos Fortune, Free Man was written in the late 1940's-1950 by a white woman in New Hampshire. In order to fully understand where this book when wrong, you have to be aware that this time in history was the beginning of the South African apartheid. Many western countries had interests in African resources, politics in Africa were being manipulated by America and Europe, and the people of Africa were still being enslaved and dominated by numerous forces both outside and inside the continent. America was still 15 years away from the Civil Rights Act, segregating communities, businesses, and schools. A large percentage of Americans still believed black people were somehow lesser humans than white people, and those that didn't pitied them. Propaganda about Africa was heavy, fueling the pity of American citizens for the poor Africans, who didn't cover their shamefully naked bodies, didn't speak English, couldn't read or write, and didn't worship the Christian God; because they'd been separated from the world and just didn't know any better. This public pity helped the governments of the world in controlling Africa's resources and politics (to help them, of course), and mission trips were common, bringing "civilization" to Africa in the form of Christianity and the English language.
When you know all of that, it's easy to see why Amos Fortune, Free Man focused not on the tragedy of slavery or the heartache of being ripped away from life and family, but what a great country America is and how lucky a person is to live where there are books and God. The book begins with a description of the barbaric and uncivilized tribe of At-mun-shi (Amos Fortune's home), "as pagan as any tribe in Africa", and the love for his crippled sister, who would have been drowned at birth if it weren't for the sacrifice of a dog. As a slave, Amos has a few owners who are all kindly with intentions of someday giving Amos his freedom. The message throughout the book is that Amos has a better life after accepting Christianity and the American way of life. Amos has only fleeting thoughts of his life as a king in Africa and the sister he left behind (the murder of his father by the slavers is never mentioned again in the book), and while freedom is always a goal, it's perfectly acceptable to him that a person should have to work every day of their life in order to earn it.
Amos later purchases a wife (to be fair, he purchased her freedom and then married her by her choice, but I'd like to see any woman choose slavery over marriage). One significant event centers on a "shiftless woman" who can't support her children, clearly because of laziness and an unwillingness to work. This enforces the white American opinion of the time the book was written: that there was no excuse for black poverty in a country where success depends on hard work (and if they didn't have the same advantages of whites, they could just work harder).
This book is outdated and inaccurate, and completely inappropriate for historical education unless it's used as an example of the priveledged white attitude prior to the Civil Rights Movement.
It's Not the Circumstances that Make the Man
Amos Fortune is the true story of a man who was born in Africa - the son of a great chief - and was kidnapped (along with many people from his tribe) and taken to America, where he was sold into slavery. He was purchased by a Quaker family in New England who treat him more like a son than a slave and teach him to read and help him to embrace the Christian faith.
Through an agreement with his first owner, Amos eventually earns his own freedom. He proceeds to work very diligently and live very simply in order to earn enough money to buy the freedom of several other slaves over the course of his lifetime. He is the embodiment of diligence, patience and integrity.
The story is remarkable both because it is a true story and because it takes place in America in a place (the northern states) and time (around the time of the American Revolution) not often considered part of the story of slavery.
Appropriate for fourth grade and up.
How a man should live his life
This is an excellent book about a young chief named At-Mun, who was taken from his tribe in Africa and shipped off like an animal to be sold as a slave in the new world. Everything he knew and held dear: his religion, his family and friends (specifically his sister whom he loved), his language, his culture, and his home had to be left behind. After a hard trip across the Atlantic, enduring the pain of sickness and severe cruelty, watching even his own people die, they finally reached America. It had been a long three months. At-Mun was sold at the slave auction to a kind man and his family. He changed hands a few times after the family had to move. Through those many years he learned the English language and culture. He even took up their Religion of Christianity, which he took very seriously. He was eventually given a new name, and was known to everyone as Amos Fortune. When he was in his sixties, he received his freedom and married, then decided to take up the work of a tanner, which he had been taught in his earlier days. From then on, he was known as Amos Fortune, Free man. It meant so much to him to be free, that he began freeing other people too. His love for his God, people, his work, and his family made him beloved to many people. This is an excellent book about a man who never gave up, and who never stopped loving. This is a perfect example showing how every man should be.
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