▁Robert ▁and ▁Susan ▁Ste ward . ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁sister ▁Mary . ▁They ▁were ▁held ▁by ▁plan ter ▁Capt . ▁William ▁Hel m . ▁Ste ward ▁was ▁seven ▁years ▁old ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁his ▁first ▁duties ▁as ▁a ▁house ▁servant ▁to ▁Hel m . ▁Ste ward ▁taught ▁himself ▁to ▁read ▁in ▁secre cy , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁discovered ▁and ▁sever ely ▁be aten . ▁ ▁Hel m ▁moved ▁his ▁family ▁and ▁the ▁Ste wards ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁Although ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁free ▁state , ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁grad ual ▁abol ition ▁approach ▁and ▁sla very ▁was ▁still ▁permitted . ▁After ▁continued ▁ab use ▁when ▁h ired ▁out ▁to ▁a ▁brut al ▁task master , ▁Ste ward ▁determined ▁to ▁escape , ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 ▁at ▁about ▁age ▁ 2 1 . ▁ ▁Ste ward ▁made ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁Ro chester , ▁New ▁York . ▁Initial ly ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁Dennis ▁Com stock , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Man um ission ▁Society , ▁and ▁took ▁classes ▁to ▁increase ▁his ▁education . ▁Before ▁his ▁escape , ▁he ▁had ▁consult ed ▁about ▁purs uing ▁legal ▁man um ission ▁but ▁was ▁disc ou rag ed ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁take ▁too ▁long . ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁he ▁started ▁what ▁became ▁a ▁successful ▁business ▁in ▁Ro chester , ▁opening ▁his ▁own ▁meat ▁market ▁and ▁general ▁store . ▁He ▁gradually ▁acquired ▁considerable ▁property . ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁aut obi ography , ▁he ▁gave ▁a ▁speech