Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Incidents in the Life of a Slave
Girl - Written by Herself

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Title: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself
Author: Harriet Jacobs (AKA Linda Brent)
Release Date: February 11, 2004 [EBook #11030]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE ***

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[Transcriber's note: The spelling irregularities of the original have been
retained in this etext.]
Incidents
in the

Life of a Slave Girl.

Written by Herself.
Linda Brent
"Northerners know nothing at all about Slavery. They think it is
perpetual bondage only. They have no conception of the depth of
degradation involved in that word, SLAVERY; if they had, they would
never cease their efforts until so horrible a system was overthrown."
A Woman Of North Carolina.
"Rise up, ye women that are at ease! Hear my voice, ye careless
daughters! Give ear unto my speech."
Isaiah xxxii. 9.
Edited By L. Maria Child.
Boston: Published For The Author.
1861.

Preface By The Author
Reader be assured this narrative is no fiction. I am aware that some of
my adventures may seem incredible; but they are, nevertheless, strictly
true. I have not exaggerated the wrongs inflicted by Slavery; on the
contrary, my descriptions fall far short of the facts. I have concealed the
names of places, and given persons fictitious names. I had no motive
for secrecy on my own account, but I deemed it kind and considerate
towards others to pursue this course.
I wish I were more competent to the task I have undertaken. But I trust
my readers will excuse deficiencies in consideration of circumstances. I
was born and reared in Slavery; and I remained in a Slave State
twenty-seven years. Since I have been at the North, it has been
necessary for me to work diligently for my own support, and the
education of my children. This has not left me much leisure to make up
for the loss of early opportunities to improve myself; and it has
compelled me to write these pages at irregular intervals, whenever I
could snatch an hour from household duties.
When I first arrived in Philadelphia, Bishop Paine advised me to
publish a sketch of my life, but I told him I was altogether incompetent
to such an undertaking. Though I have improved my mind somewhat

since that time, I still remain of the same opinion; but I trust my
motives will excuse what might otherwise seem presumptuous. I have
not written my experiences in order to attract attention to myself; on the
contrary, it would have been more pleasant to me to have been silent
about my own history. Neither do I care to excite sympathy for my own
sufferings. But I do earnestly desire to arouse the women of the North
to a realizing sense of the condition of two millions of women at the
South, still in bondage, suffering what I suffered, and most of them far
worse. I want to add my testimony to that of abler pens to convince the
people of the Free States what Slavery really is. Only by experience can
any one realize how deep, and dark, and foul is that pit of abominations.
May the blessing of God rest on this imperfect effort in behalf of my
persecuted people!
--Linda Brent
Introduction By The Editor
The author of the following autobiography is personally known to me,
and her conversation and manners inspire me with confidence. During
the last seventeen years, she has lived the greater part of the time with a
distinguished family in New York, and has so deported herself as to be
highly esteemed by them. This fact is sufficient, without further
credentials of her character. I believe those who know her will not be
disposed to doubt her veracity, though some incidents in her story are
more romantic than fiction.
At her request, I have revised her manuscript; but such changes as I
have made have been mainly for purposes of condensation and orderly
arrangement. I have not added any thing to the incidents, or changed
the import of her very pertinent remarks. With trifling exceptions, both
the ideas and the language are her own. I pruned excrescences a little,
but otherwise I had no reason for changing her lively and dramatic way
of telling her own story.