James Roberts (slave narrative)

James Roberts (born c. 1753) was an enslaved American.

Roberts was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in about 1753. He was enslaved by Francis De Shields, a colonel in the Continental Army. Roberts fought beside De Shields in the American Revolutionary War, and once the seven-year war with Britain ended, worked for George Washington in Philadelphia. Roberts went with De Shields as his servant. When De Shields died, Roberts expected to be set free but instead was sold to William Ward. Roberts was torn away from his family and then sold at an auction in New Orleans to Calvin Smith.

"It is not for me to foretell the end of oppression in this country, but one thing is certain, virtue, sobriety, temperance, economy, education and religion, will fit you for any emergency whatever, and are the best qualifications for free men. That their attainment may be your constant pursuit and most earnest endeavr [sic], is the prayer of one now ready to depart."

Roberts experienced numerous traumas on the plantation while enslaved by Smith. His cousin was whipped and put in the stocks, only to die a week into being on that very homestead. Soon thereafter, Andrew Jackson traveled to Smith's to enlist 500 enslaved men to prepare for the Battle of New Orleans. Roberts was one of these 500 men. When the army arrived in New Orleans, Jackson saw the fear in his men's eyes. To get their spirits up, he said,

"don't be discouraged, take a second look at them; they are but men like yourselves. Courage will overcome your fears and dread."

Roberts suffered a serious wound to his head and lost a forefinger in the battle. After the battle was over, Jackson withdrew the promise that he had made to the enslaved men. They marched to the Kentucky tavern to drink as much as the men pleased.

"Never," said he, "suffer negroes to have arms; if you do, they will take the country. Suffer them to have no kind of weapons over ten inches long. Never allow them to have a piece of paper with any writing on it whatever. You must examine your slaves very closely, for the time is coming when the slave will get light; and if ever his mind is enlightened on the subject of freedom, you cannot keep him. One slave bought from the East will ruin a multitude of those raised here. Before a slave of mine should go free, I would put him in a barn and burn him alive. Gentlemen, take me at my word; for if you do not, you will be sorry for it before many years. Never arm another set of colored people. We have fooled them now, but never trust them again; they will not be fooled again with this example before them. If you do, you will repent of it but once."

Roberts was forced to return to Smith's enslavement, and experienced additional abuse as well as witnessing the abuse of others.

In 1856, Roberts contacted President Franklin Pierce for an interview about receiving a pension for his merits in the war. Pierce said that Roberts was nothing more than a horse or a sheep and that it would be a disgrace to take a pension that his enslaver was still receiving and give it to Roberts.