At the time slavery took place in the US, a devastating situation placed society to an intense debate and a fight between morality and tradition. Celia as the victim of this scenario will be the figure of sexual exploitation of owner and slave that will question the limits of property and morality. Celia's life will reveal the relationship of race, gender, and power in the south. .
Celia was a teenage girl slave from Audrain County purchased during the 1850s by wealthy landowner named Robert Newsom to help calm his desire of a female companion. He had set out to find a replacement for his dead wife, rather than find a domestic servant. On his way back to the Callaway County from the purchasing, he raped Celia and increased his sexual addiction to the cause. Life for Celia would continue from there on with consecutive sexual exploitation by her master causing her to feel uncertain about the nature of their relationship. Celia would later become tenser as she would approach confrontations from his new slave lover George, also owned by Newsom, asking her to confront her master for an end to his sexual demands. In an effort to stop Newsom's sexual advances, secure the lives of her children, and preserve George's .
affections, she appealed to the family members. Seeing that everyone ignored considering the reality of his sexual relation, Celia had no other option, no other choice. Celia .
directly confronted her master sometime on June 2, 1855. She begged Newsom to leave her alone, but he rejected her. Celia threatened to hurt her master if he made further sexual demands. After her confrontation, she returned to her cabin outside the house, given to her from Robert, and prepared herself for a further physical attack to any probable attempt of Newsom's abuse. That night of Saturday, June 23, 1855 at approximately ten o"clock, Newsom left his bedroom and went into Celia's cabin. As Newsom approached and demanded her to have sex with him, Celia grabbed a large stick she hid down her bed and brought it down against his head.