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Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin In the book Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin, the accounts of one woman's life are bound together in a vivid way to relay the circumstances surrounding a female slave's cruel life. The life of this woman named Celia was filled with acts of molestation, rape, murder, and eventual execution. Through the use of court records, correspondences, and newspaper accounts, the author delineated in chronological order the …

…know better. The men who sat on the jury of Celia's trial faced their own personal dilemma. To condemn the acts of Robert Newsom would be to condemn the institution of slavery. For a master's slave was thought to be his/her property, which he/she could do with it what he/she pleased. To put Celia to death, as they did, reinforced the institution of slavery. Missouri's stance on slavery was therefore clearly defined.