Harriet A. Jacobs (1813–1897)
Author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
About the Author
Born into slavery in North Carolina, Jacobs's early life was one of abuse and hardship. At the age of 21, she was sent to work on a plantation as penalty for having rejected the sexual advances of her white owner, whereupon she determined to free herself and her children at whatever cost. In 1842 show more Jacobs escaped to the North and was placed in the home of the popular New York writer, N. P. Willis. Several years later she moved to Rochester, New York, where she became active in a group of antislavery feminists. It was at their urging that she first came to think of writing her autobiography, since slave narratives were found to be an effective means of turning northern sentiment against the cruelties of slavery. Jacobs worked on her book during the next several years, finally finishing it in 1858, but no publisher was willing to publish it. Only after Lydia Maria Child, a leading white abolitionist, agreed to write a preface to Jacobs's autobiography was the book able to find its way into print in 1861. Coming as it did, however, so close to the beginning of the Civil War, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (published under the pseudonym "Linda Brent") did not win the enormous popularity that other slave narratives had previously enjoyed, such as Frederick Douglass's Narrative (1845). Nor was its popularity increased by its frank depiction of the sexual exploitation of female slaves by their masters. However, white women reader were especially moved by the account of a woman who had fought so heroically to free herself and her children from slavery, even at the cost of her "virtue," and were able to identify with her through the perspective of their own situations as wives and mothers. During and after the Civil War, Jacobs traveled and spoke on behalf of the rights of African Americans, her effectiveness enhanced by the recognition that she had earned as an author. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Harriet A. Jacobs
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Modern Library… (1845) 290 copies
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, Enlarged Edition, Now with "A True Tale of Slavery" (1999) 187 copies
In Their Own Voices: First-hand Histories of Formerly Enslaved People (Arcturus Classic Collections, 11) (2021) 8 copies
Associated Works
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1 (1990) — Contributor, some editions — 255 copies
Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient… (1992) — Contributor — 157 copies
American Antislavery Writings: Colonial Beginnings to Emancipation (2012) — Contributor — 122 copies
Reconstruction: Voices from America's First Great Struggle for Racial Equality (LOA #303) (The Library of America) (2018) — Contributor — 109 copies
In Search of Color Everywhere: A Collection of African-American Poetry (1656) — Contributor — 99 copies
Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told By Themselves (2005) — Contributor — 93 copies
Twelve Years a Slave / Life of Frederick Douglass / Uncle Tom's Cabin / Life of Josiah Henson / Incidents in the Life… (2014) — Contributor — 58 copies
Lapham's Quarterly - Lines of Work: Volume IV, Number 2, Spring 2011 (2011) — Contributor — 29 copies
I Was Born a Slave: An Anthology of Classic Slave Narratives: Volume Two, 1849-1866 (1999) — Contributor — 28 copies
Before Harlem: An Anthology of African American Literature from the Long Nineteenth Century (2016) — Contributor — 9 copies
African American Literature: A Concise Anthology from Frederick Douglass to Toni Morrison (2009) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Jacobs, Harriet Ann
- Other names
- Brent, Linda (pseudonym)
- Birthdate
- 1813-02-11
- Date of death
- 1897-03-17
- Burial location
- Mount Auburn Cemetery
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Edenton, North Carolina, USA
- Place of death
- Washington DC, USA
- Cause of death
- illness
- Places of residence
- Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 14
- Also by
- 21
- Members
- 6,071
- Popularity
- #4,054
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 95
- ISBNs
- 248
- Languages
- 8
- Favorited
- 1
The family who were slaveholders over her led a relentless years long pursuit of her after she became a fugitive from them.