IN 1619 IN Jamestown, Virginia, an observer of the times remarked matter-of-factly in his diary, "There came in a Dutch man-of-warre that sold us 20 negars." With no more fanfare than this, American slavery had begun. By 1860, a greatly distressed Abraham Lincoln felt compelled to note that nearly one-sixth of the total population of the so-called "land of the free" consisted, of slaves. In America, the institution of slavery was based solely on race--not religion, not class. Thus from the very start it defined one of the dominant themes in our nation's history.
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The true story of an individual’s struggle for self-identity, selfpreservation, and freedom, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl remains among the few extant slave narratives written by a woman. This autobiographical account chronicles the remarkable odyssey of Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897), whose dauntless spirit and faith carried her from a life of servitude and degradation in North Carolina to liberty and reunion with her children in the North.
Written and published in 1861 after Jacobs’ harrowing escape from a vile and predatory master, the memoir delivers a powerful and unflinching portrayal of the abuses and hypocrisy of the master-slave relationship. Jacobs writes frankly of the horrors she suffered as a slave, her eventual escape after several unsuccessful attempts, and her seven years in self-imposed exile, hiding in a coffin-like "garret" attached to her grandmother’s porch.
A rare firsthand account of a courageous woman’s determination and endurance, this inspirational story also represents a valuable historical record of the continuing battle for freedom and the preservation of family.
CHILDHOOD
THE NEW MASTER AND MISTRESS
THE SLAWS’ NEW YEAR’S DAY
THE SLAVE WHO DARED TO FEEL LIKE A MAN
THE TRIALS OF GIRLHOOD
THE JEALOUS MISTRESS
THE LOVER
WHAT SLAVES ARE TAUGHT TO THINK OF THE NORTH.
SKETCHES OF NEIGHBORING SLAVEHOLDERS
A PERILOUS PASSAGE IN THE SLAVE GIRL’S LIFE
THE NEW TIE TO LIFE
FEAR OF INSURRECTION
THE CHURCH AND SLAVERY
ANOTHER LINK TO LIFE
CONTINUED PERSECUTIONS.
SCENES AT THE PLANTATION
THE FLIGHT
MONTHS OF PERIL
THE CHILDREN SOLD
NEW PERILS
THE LOOPHOLE OF RETREAT
CHRISTMAS FESTMTIES
STILL IN PRISON
THE CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS
COMPETITION IN CUNNING
IMPORTANT ERA IN MY BROTHER’S LIFE
NEW DESTINATION FOR THE CHILDREN.
AUNT NANCY
PREPARATIONS FOR ESCAPE
NORTHWARD BOUND
INCIDENTS IN PHILADELPHIA
THE MEETING OF MOTHER AND DAUGHTER.
A HOME FOUND
THE OLD ENEMY AGAIN
PREJUDICE AGAINST COLOR
THE HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE
A VISIT TO ENGLAND
RENEWED INVITATIONS TO GO SOUTH
THE CONFESSION
THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW
FREE AT LAST
APPENDIX
