This is the story of a desperate runaway slave mother who tried to kill her children and succeded in killing one to prevent them from going back to slavery.

Margaret Garner was born a slave in around 1834 in Kentucky, USA a slave state then. It is believed her father was the white plantation owner who had raped her mother. Margaret married Robert Garner a fellow slave in 1849 and they along with thirteen other people escaped their plantation. She, her husband and her four children (three of whom were believed to have been fathered by her white master who repeatedly raped her).

The other members of their party managed to make it to Canada a free state through the underground railway but she was not so lucky.
They hid in the home of a local abolitionist a white man who tried to help them escape to Canada but a sudden raid on their hideout led to their arrest.

During the confrontation Margaret grabbed a large butcher's knife and stabbed her last born, a toddler to death. She succeded in injuring the other children but didn't kill them before she was subdued.

Her trial was high profile then and attracted thousands. There, Margaret proclaimed she had rather see her children dead than see them go through torment as slaves. Her children would have been subjected to more ridicule since they were halfcast who generally faced even more discriminations then and were still considered slaves.

Though several abolitionist testified on her behalf and fought for her, two of her children were taken from her and her, her husband and one more daughter were given back to her owner.
While crossing the River on their way back, their boat sank and Margaret happily let her last born drown not attempting to rescue her and tried to drown herself though she was unsuccesful.

She and Robert were then sold back as field slaves were they were worked and tortured, she died of typhoid fever in 1858.

What fascinates a lot of scholars today is that Margaret showed no remorse for the death of her children and during her trial promised that if she ever had children while still being a slave she would continue to kill them.
Her story was the basis for the pulitzer winning book "Beloved" by celebrated African American writer Toni Morrison a noble lauraete who researched Margaret's life. Several plays have also been made about her.

As we today of learnt the evil of slavery led people to do abominble things......we can't blame the poor woman

Thats truely a Mother

I would have done the same

Why have kids in the first instance? Her action isn't justifiable based on being a slave. The best she could have done was abstaining from having kids, but then again the article says she was raped, I think giving the kids a fair chance of survival would have been the best decision.

Phder: Why have kids in the first instance? Her action isn't justifiable based on being a slave. The best she could have done was abstaining from having kids, but then again the article says she was raped, I think giving the kids a fair chance of survival would have been the best decision.

did you miss the part where the op said the kids are the results of rap*e

Mehn like being judgemental, you need to think with your head mtcheeew

HumbledbYGrace: did you miss the part where the op said the kids are the results of rap*e

Mehn like being judgemental, you need to think with your head mtcheeew

Slow down, and read my response again. NOTHING justifies murder/euthanasia. Everybody deserves a fair chance, and she is not in anyway to decide who lives/die. She just happen to be a channel through which those kids were born.

Phder: Why have kids in the first instance? Her action isn't justifiable based on being a slave. The best she could have done was abstaining from having kids, but then again the article says she was raped, I think giving the kids a fair chance of survival would have been the best decision.

you have to understand the brutality of slavery to know why she did it. Imagine being worked for hours under the blazing sun wearing just scrapes of clothing, your mouth being padlocked during those times and being fed once daily. Try to escape and you are subjected to severe beatings, female black slaves could be raped at will and nothing would happen. They end up with eligitimate half cast children whom the white father abandons.

Phder:
Slow down, and read my response again. NOTHING justifies murder/euthanasia. Everybody deserves a fair chance, and she is not in anyway to decide who lives/die. She just happen to be a channel through which those kids were born.

Nothing in your post makes sense.

Phumi TJ:
you have to understand the brutality of slavery to know why she did it. Imagine being worked for hours under the blazing sun wearing just scrapes of clothing, your mouth being padlocked during those times and being fed once daily. Try to escape and you are subjected to severe beatings, female black slaves could be raped at will and nothing would happen. They end up with eligitimate half cast children whom the white father abandons.

The guy needs to READ simple!

HumbledbYGrace: Nothing in your post makes sense.

To you, it's ok.

Phder: To you, it's ok.

To a woman who has had a child, to someone who understands what it is like to be forced into bed with someone, the bitterness, hatred and betrayal and the pains of labour, to someone who knows what it means to be a slave.

Sadly we all have experienced such brutality, one way or the other so there is no use trying to act all holier than though.

HumbledbYGrace: The guy needs to READ simple!

pls everyone has a right to his/her opinion,our ways of understanding and intepreting words are diff so you dont need to vilify him to make ur point

HumbledbYGrace: To a woman who has had a child, to someone who understands what it is like to be forced into bed with someone, the bitterness, hatred and betrayal and the pains of labour, to someone who knows what it means to be a slave.

Sadly we all have experienced such brutality, one way or the other so there is no use trying to act all holier than though.

We're not on the same page, that's ok. It does not make my opinion a stupid one. We just happen to have different perspective on this issue. I am not trying to present myself as an holy being (If you happen to know me, am very very far from that adjective)

Phumi TJ:
you have to understand the brutality of slavery to know why she did it. Imagine being worked for hours under the blazing sun wearing just scrapes of clothing, your mouth being padlocked during those times and being fed once daily. Try to escape and you are subjected to severe beatings, female black slaves could be raped at will and nothing would happen. They end up with eligitimate half cast children whom the white father abandons.

I can only imagine what slavery entails, based on history and books; it's bad and horrible, I know. My point here is; "all is flux!" Somebody had to stay alive to fight for freedom, imagine all black slave killed their children then, I wonder what would be of our race at this present age. Her action can be likened to an individual who decides to kill himself because he "perceives" the future holds no good. Is that justifiable too?

There is always another way, another way that doesn't involve claiming another person's life. Talking of what she's been through as a slave, can you please take a moment and imagine how horrible it is for the drowned child? I mean YOUR birth mom, drowning you intentionally? What she did to me is nothing but an act of selfishness! (am sorry if that sounds judgmental, that's just how I feel about it). THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER WAY