Solomon had the unique experience of being a free man for decades before being captured and enslaved, and this greatly challenges the pro-slavery claims made by Southern whites believed that slaves could never survive on their own without them. Solomon's first owner, William Ford, could be compared to pro-slavery statements about how slave owners treated their slaves. Ford treated his slaves well and Solomon believed that if Ford had grown up under different influences, he would not have been a slave owner at all because he was such an honorable man. Solomon's second master, John Tibeats, was the complete opposite image of what Southern slaveholders were trying to demonstrate. "He was ignorant, moreover, and with a vengeful character... Of course he is, it was a very unfortunate day for me, the one that brought us together." Solomon was barely allowed to rest, he worked long hours, and Tibeats never spoke to him politely. Harriet Jacobs also had experiences similar to Solomon's, but she was even more oppressed than others because she was a woman. Jacobs was sexually exploited by her master for years and treated as if she were property. There was no memory of Harriet Jacobs having experienced anything pleasant regarding slavery; only suffering and punishment that threaten pro-slavery claims. Many slaves sought to challenge the concept of slavery by running away or fighting back. Solomon responded by whipping