George+Knox

|| Biography:
 * George L. Knox
 * // Slave and Freeman //**

George L. Knox was born a slave in Tennessee. Before the end of the civil war he moved to Indiana. There he started a career of a barber. He soon, unlike most former slaves, became involved in local politics and had many friends. He then moved to Indianapolis where he had his final resting-place in 1927. In Indianapolis he had a big barbershop in the middle of the city. He was known throughout the city as the most successful black businessman and had religious, civic, and racial organizations. Knox believed that through hard work black people could succeed in becoming first class citizens too. || - " When Knox's master joined a Confederate volunteer unitand went off to war, the occasion was one of sadness for both master and slave. The young slave, seperated from his "only friend" accompanied his mistress". George found his master become more of a companion to him rather than a mean, cruel slaveholder. When he had to watch his only friend leave it crushed Knox. - "I recall a significant incident, as marking the premonition of coming changes, felt by the master classes, which happened when I was about sixteen years old, setting the whole community agog." Knox stayed in the masters home during this time and didn't hear about all the news going on but this was when alot of slaves got sold and moved around. Also when rumors about the slaves killing the whites. This threatened the owners. || || - "The remark was frequently made to me, before leaving my own city, Indianapolis, that I might be a big man at home but I would not be heard of to any great extent in New York City." George was known for his great skills in business. He was the only african americans that owned his own barbershop in Indianapolis, so he was being told that he will go from being number one to zero in New York. ||
 * Quotes :
 * [[image:http://ahistoryofnewyork.com/baker-650.jpg width="293" height="227" caption="(Post Civil War)"]] || - "He asked me when the Negroes were going to rise. I said to him "what is that" It was something I had never heard of before in my life and he said "they were going to rise up and kill all the whites." I told him I had not heard anything about that." Knox was just excited about the holidays coming and didn't have any idea about this rebellion apprently going on.
 * Work Citied:

"Babershop" 19 November, 2009. Web. 

"Post Civil War" 19 November, 2009. Web. <[]>

"Runaway Slave" 18 November, 2009. Web. <[]>

Knox, George L. //Slave and Freeman.// Lexington, Kentucky: the University Press of Kentucky. 1979. Print. || Conclusion- I have learned alot about George L. Knox by doing reading his autobiography and creating a wikispace about him. It showed me how terrible slavery was and how he some how came out of it and made a living for himself. He put himself out and there and started his own barbershop and got known in Indianapolis. I respect George in many ways and he helped show the African Americans they can be a first class citizen too in time, hard work, and good morals. ||