The offense alleged against Nelly, was one of the commonest and most indefinite in the whole catalogue of offenses usually laid to the charge of slaves, viz: “impudence.” This may mean almost anything, or nothing at all, just according to the caprice of the master or overseer, at the moment.
In his autobiography, Douglass exposes the arbitrary and oppressive nature of "impudence" as a charge against enslaved people, highlighting the absolute power of masters.
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