Jacobs, Harriet
1813-1897 · Contribution: 1861
Literature & Writing
Autobiography and slave narrative; 'Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself' (1861), published under the pseudonym Linda Brent, recounted her enslavement, sexual abuse, seven years hiding in a tiny garret, and escape to freedom
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1813-1897
- Category
- Literature & Writing
Impact on the world
Jacobs gave voice to the sexual violence at the heart of slavery that male-authored narratives had largely omitted, transforming the abolitionist literary record.
An alternative history
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Sources
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Documenting the American South (University of North Carolina)
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