Jacob Stroyer was an African-American former slave, who became preacher in Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. He is best known for his autobiography

Autobiography

An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

, My Life in the South.

Stroyer was born on the Kensington Plantation in Eastover, South Carolina

Eastover, South Carolina

Eastover is a town in Richland County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 830 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Eastover is located at ....

 in 1846 or 1849. Stroyer's father, Jacob was born in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...

 and was captured and brought to America as a youth. He knew little about his father's family background, other the names of Jacob's parents. Stroyer's mother, Chloe was born in South Carolina where her family has been enslaved for several generations. As a youth, he worked as a hostler

Hostler

An hostler or ostler in the horse industry is a groom or stableman, who is employed in a stable to take care of horses...

. After the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, he attended schools in Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

 and Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

.

Stroyer moved to Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

 in 1870. He attended Worcester Academy

Worcester Academy

Worcester Academy is an independent coeducational preparatory school spread over in Worcester, Massachusetts in the United States. The school is divided into a middle school, serving approximately 150 students in grades six to eight, and an upper school, serving approximately 500 students in...

 for two years. He was licensed as an African Methodist Episcopal preacher. In Newport, Massachusetts, he was ordained a deacon. He moved to Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...

to preach.

He first published his autobiography, My Life in the South, in 1879. This was revised in 1898.

External links

• Sketches of My Life in the South. Part I. Salem: Salem Press, 1879.
• My Life in the South. Salem: Salem Observer Book and Job Print, 1885.