Charlton is born into slavery on a South Carolina plantation in 1837. Belle, the master's daughter, intervenes to save the tiny baby's life when her father contemplates killing off the runt. Belle's relationship with Charlton progresses from nurturer to teacher to friend to childhood love. She promises to marry him if she can use the words of the Declaration of Independence to convince their master that Charlton has rights. These events sets him on an irrevocable course to understanding the vicious and unjust world of the American South, where innocent childhood dreams lead to unthinkable cruelty.