The Life & Legacy of Enslaved Virginian Emily Winfree

Book excerpt: Left destitute after the Civil War by the death of David Winfree, her former master and the father of her children, Emily Winfree underwent unimaginable hardships to keep her family together. Living with them in the tiny cottage he had given her, she worked menial jobs to make ends meet until the children were old enough to contribute. Her sacrifices enabled the successes of many of her descendants. Authors Jan Meck and Virginia Refo tell the true story of this remarkable African American woman who lived through enslavement, war, Reconstruction and Jim Crow in Central Virginia. The book is enriched with copies of many original documents, as well as personal recollections from a great-granddaughter of Emily's. The story concludes with pictures and biographies of some of her descendants.