The following annotations to The Narrative of Lunsford Lane,
Formerly of Raleigh, N.C. Embracing an Account of His Early
Life, the Redemption by Purchase of Himself and Family from
Slavery, and His Banishment from the Place of His Birth for the
Crime of Wearing a Colored Skin. Published by Himself were
compiled in the fall 2000 by Robin Hunter and Brooke Lee, first-
year students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, as a class project in Professor William L. Andrews's
First-Year Seminar on Slavery and Freedom in African American
Literature and Film. We welcome any corrections, additions, or
suggested revisions of these annotations. Send feedback to
firstname.lastname@example.org. Mr. Sherwood Haywood—Sherwood
Haywood (1762 - 1829) served as clerk of the North Carolina
State Senate from January 4, 1786 to December 24, 1798. He
worked as an agent for Bank of Newburn in Raleigh. my
father—Lunsford Lane's father Edward belonged to one of Sherwood
Haywood's brothers. rod—One rod equals 16.5 feet, or