John F. Baker Jr. is the author of The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family’s Journey to Freedom published by Simon & Schuster(2010). 

Baker tells the story of his ancestors, who were enslaved on Wessyngton Plantation owned by the Washington family as well as the story of the hundreds of other African Americans connected with the plantation for more than two centuries.  It is a story of family, faith, and community.

Baker has managed to create groundbreaking research in African American history and American history.  He uses historical records to trace genealogy such as Slave bills of sale, Freedmen’s Bureau records, church records, death records, birth records, marriage records, U. S. Census records, Military records, Pension records, Civil War records, Wills, Deeds, Estate records, Plantation records and many others. In addition, he  interviewed dozens of individuals ranging in age from 80 to 107 years old to collect their oral histories.  He used more than 11,000 documents to trace the lives of his ancestors, the Washington family and more than 300 other African Americans enslaved on Wessyngton Plantation, which was the largest tobacco plantation in America.

Opening music - Sweet Mellow Spice by A. K. Alexander Productions