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Harriet A. Jacobs (1813–1897)

Author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

14+ Works 6,071 Members 95 Reviews 1 Favorited

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

Associated Works

Slave Narratives (2000) — Contributor — 320 copies
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1 (1990) — Contributor, some editions — 255 copies
The Civil War: The Second Year Told By Those Who Lived It (2012) — Contributor — 172 copies
The Civil War: The Third Year Told by Those Who Lived It (2013) — Contributor — 145 copies
Black on White: Black Writers on What It Means to Be White (1998) — Contributor — 118 copies
Invented Lives: Narratives of Black Women 1860-1960 (1987) — Contributor — 102 copies

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

Heartbreaking first person narrative of Harriet Jacobs (written using pseudonym Linda Brent), born into slavery in the mid-1800s and her quest for freedom from slavery for herself and her children.
The family who were slaveholders over her led a relentless years long pursuit of her after she became a fugitive from them.
 
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deslivres5 | 77 other reviews | Nov 17, 2023 |
I am plagued by the suspician that "Harriet" included experiences of others in her narrative, because sheer logistics makes it unlikely she experienced every single one of these horrific events. That suspicion, for me, was counterproductive because it made me distrust the narrative as a whole.
 
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Kim.Sasso | 77 other reviews | Aug 27, 2023 |
Hakim Adi's selection of writings about Britain (mainly England) by Black people of the late 18th to the early 20th century is carefully chosen to establish their presence in all strata of society at a date earlier than certain commentators would wish it known. There's a thread showing the development of abolitionism into emancipation into supremacism to justify the continued exploitation of Black Labour, and Adi's selections often strongly resonate with current issues, such as the Windrush scandal and the illegal Tory Rwanda deportation policy.

There's also many fascinating glimpses into Georgian and Victorian society and, while varying degrees of racism are noted, many of the impressions of visitors to the island are positive about their reception and of the culture in which they find themselves.

A nuanced and balanced selection of historical testimonies which I thoroughly enjoyed reading, not least the short section on John Ocansey's day trip from Liverpool to my home town of Southport 🏖️
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½
 
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Michael.Rimmer | Jul 12, 2023 |
5 stars for the Librivox audiobook recording by Elizabeth Klett, 4½ stars for the Kindle edition book. Elizabeth Klett is absolutely wonderful narrating this autobiography. I couldn't stop listening once I had started!

I decided to read this in honor of Back History Month. As a result of a recent conversation, I realized that my previous focus on the Civil Rights movement was perhaps a little too 'easy' on my white upper middle class conscience. I didn't really know anything about this book other than the fact that I had heard the title before. I was ready for the book to have descriptions of atrocities but what I wasn't ready for was the literate style of the prose. I know, shame on me for my stereotypical preconceptions!

Harriet Jacobs tells her story in such a straightforward manner as to compell belief, and while the abuses she describes are now well-known, it must have taken a tremendous amount of strength of mind to write and publish this in 1861. She not only documents the terrible degradations of slavery, but also the racism she and her children are forced to undergo in the "free states" of New York and Massachusetts.
… (more)
 
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leslie.98 | 77 other reviews | Jun 27, 2023 |

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Statistics

Works
14
Also by
21
Members
6,071
Popularity
#4,054
Rating
4.0
Reviews
95
ISBNs
248
Languages
8
Favorited
1

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