Austin Steward (c. 1793 – February 15, 1869) was an African-American abolitionist and author. Born into slavery in Prince William County, he was taken at age seven with the William Helm household to New York in 1800. The family later settled in the town of Bath, New York, in 1803. Steward escaped slavery at about age 21, settling in Rochester, New York, and then moving to British North America. His autobiography, Twenty-Two Years a Slave, was published in 1857.
Steward and his family were enslaved by planter Capt. William Helm. Steward was seven years old when he was assigned his first duties as a house servant to Helm. Steward taught himself to read in secrecy, but he was discovered and severely beaten. After continued abuse when hired out to a brutal taskmaster, Steward determined to escape, which he did in 1814.
Legacy
Steward made his way to Rochester, New York. Initially he worked for Darius Comstock, president of the Manumission Society, and took classes to increase his education.
In 1831, Steward went to British North America, devoting himself to aiding fugitive slaves. He was interested in a new settlement, the Wilberforce Colony (named in honor of William Wilberforce), located north of present-day London, Ontario. The Colony had been founded in 1829 by African-Americans fleeing the Ohio Black Codes, as well as rioting in Cincinnati. His life and work are also included in educational efforts focused on slavery, emancipation, and African American leadership in New York.
Business career in Rochester
In his narrative, Austin Steward describes his time in Rochester as the period where he finally achieved real independence through business. After settling there, in 1817 he started what became a successful business in Rochester,
As his business expanded, Steward was able to improve his financial situation. He didn't start off wealthy - he gradually increased his income by being careful with his money and reinvesting it. He notes that his success enabled him to acquire property and maintain a level of independence. His narrative treats this period as the height of his economic achievement.
Steward's and Patience's daughter Barbara Ann Steward became the most documented of their children. She was educated and was a teacher at her fathers school for Black children. She entered public life at a young age and became involved in Black reform networks in the 1850s. She is documented as part of a younger generation of Black women who were active in antislavery and educational organizing during this period. She later became known for her participation in Black convention which included discussions of education, labor, and racial equality across the United States and Canada.
Barbara Ann Steward died of typhoid fever in 1861. Her death occurred during a period when typhoid was widespread in American towns due to limited sanitation.