The Slave Girl Who Became An Author

 

Harriet Jacobs (1813/1815-1897) was born a slave, but luckily enough she was taught to read and write by her female owner when she was a child. However, at 12 years of age she had an abusive male owner who beat and raped her. In 1842 she escaped and hid at her grandmother's. Actually, she stayed in her attic for seven years, until she got the chance to run off to New York. After her escape to New York she lived and worked as a nanny at Idlewild, the home of writer and publisher Nathaniel Parker Willis. In 1861 she published her memoir, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself" in which she exposed the abuse enslaved women had to endure. One of the worst cruelties is that their children might be sold away even thought they themselves did all they could to protect them. This book, which was written under the pseudonym Linda Brent, is recognized as one of the most noticeable voices against slavery. Even so she had difficulties getting it published. 

 

Harriet Jacobs (1894) 

The brother of Harriet, John S. Jacobs, who also had escaped from slavery was involved with the abolitionists and, for instance, went on anti-slavery lecturing tours. Harriet helped him run "The Anti-Slavery Office and Reading Room" in New York. She learnt about feminist and anti-slavery ideologies, and in her book she describes how she came to a new understanding of the situation of black people: "The more my mind had become enlightened, the more difficult it was for me to consider myself an article of property." Well said and totally understandable!

https://hammondharwoodhouse.org/womens-history-month-harriet-jacobs-the-woman-in-the-attic/

 

https://skinnerfamilypapers.com/?p=3731

 

https://web.english.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Jacobs_Incidents_1861.pdf 

 

https://nbhistoricalsociety.org/portfolio-item/harriet-jacobs-writer/ 

 

Wikipedia