Lauren Cole

Quest for Liberty: US to 1865 / 12:30-1:45

The Many Narratives of Slavery

Slave narratives were some of the most effective weapons in battling slavery during the

abolitionist movement because of their varying complexities and their differentiation. The very

first slave narratives focused on the slave trade from Africa to America while the later slave

narratives focused on people who were born into slavery in America already. It is my opinion

that the latter type of slave narrative was more effective in furthering the abolitionist movement

than the former. I believe this was more effective because white people could better comprehend

the concept of people who were born into slavery as opposed to those who were moved from

Africa to America through the slave trade.

Jacobs’ childhood is the foundation of what makes her narrative different from the

majority, and this difference adds to the credibility and realness of what she is saying. Jacobs,

known in her writings as Linda Brent, starts off her book by recounting her childhood. Her

childhood was a kind one; she even mentions that “[she] was born a slave; but [she] never knew

it till six years of happy childhood had passed away” (Brent, 3). This is one of the core

impressions that Jacobs, Bibb, and Northup portray in their writings. Jacobs’ autobiography

shows the duality of slavery and just how differently she was treated by various slave owners.

Starting off with a kinder point of view on slavery makes the harsh difference between her

childhood and her adulthood even more influential. Her childhood section shows the gradual

decline in her treatment as a slave and her realization regarding what she was a part of, which is

Linda Brent and L. Maria Child, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Seven Years Concealed (Auckland, New Zealand: The
Floating Press, 1861).
Henry Bibb Solomon Northup, “The Source: Challenging the “Peculiar Institution”: Slave Narratives from the
Antebellum South,” in Going to the Source Volume I: To 1877, n.d.
typically a rare occurrence, especially in many of the slave stories that I have previously

experienced.

By showing the true, uncensored version of history, Jacobs sheds light on the harsh

reality of slavery which was a core talking point in the growth of the abolitionist movement.

Many people, at the time, had their judgment on slavery clouded by a crowd mentality. They

were too blind to the fact that what they were doing was wrong because so many other people

were doing it and advocating for its normality, much like certain things in modern-day society. A

crowd mentality is very hard to combat, especially if it is something “useful” like slavery. One of

the most effective ways to combat a crowd mentality is to plant a seed of doubt in people’s

minds. That seed of doubt was further planted by Harriet Jacobs when she wrote Incidents in the

Life of a Slave Girl. By showing the harsh and painful truths of slavery, she was planting a seed

of doubt into people’s minds by demonstrating the dehumanizing effects of slavery such as

trauma and abuse. People that have very strong and firm beliefs, such as advocating for slavery

or other modern issues like military status, will typically read arguments from the other point of

view and try and debunk said arguments to further prove themselves to be correct. For example,

such people would read the title of Jacobs’ book and decide to read it; not because they

necessarily possessed a genuine interest in the subject, but because of their polar opposite beliefs

on the topic that drove them to curiosity.

Even if the reader was not a plantation owner, they could still relate to and understand the

concept of slaves born into slavery more easily due to the stories that circulated about the slave

abuse or even witnessing this abuse firsthand. Since many people were likely uneducated on the

specifics slave trade, they would be quick to dismiss any bad mention of it if they couldn’t

connect it with their prior knowledge, and thus pro-abolition arguments wouldn’t have made

Linda Brent and L. Maria Child, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Seven Years Concealed (Auckland, New Zealand: The
Floating Press, 1861).
Henry Bibb Solomon Northup, “The Source: Challenging the “Peculiar Institution”: Slave Narratives from the
Antebellum South,” in Going to the Source Volume I: To 1877, n.d.
much headway. By introducing readers to the firsthand experiences of those who had endured

such abuse, such as stories about growing up on a plantation at the hands of a cruel master, white

readers could tie in their knowledge and memories from what they saw happen on the plantations

and could potentially be swayed to the abolitionists’ points of view.

In history, we can see the physical effects of slavery, such as the physical wounds,

clothing, houses, and remains, but we cannot see the psychological damage that was inflicted

upon those who were enslaved. Since most slaves were not taught how to read or write, these

stories about the psychological toll are far and few between ( Bibb Northup, 207). The way that

Jacobs writes is very honest and intriguing. Her writing is very straightforward with the reader

about her story and situation as she progresses further into it, which makes sense with the tone

and gravity of what she is writing about. In the preface, Jacobs acknowledges that she would

have rather kept her life secret, making the story feel more personal to the reader and keeping

their attention for longer. Many real-life writers will typically acknowledge that it is hard to write

their book but establishing that the content is painful and private forms a stronger connection

with the reader and the writer. The editor’s introduction is also important; the editor provides

additional insight into Jacob’s life that Jacobs herself neglected to explain, as well as the

reasoning behind her decision to put her story into words in the first place. The editor also

provides a third party into the story, she verifies that what Jacobs is saying is true and that she

has done nothing but edit the story (Brent, 3). She emphasizes the point that she has in no way

altered the book or dramatized it in any way and that the book is well and truly a reflection of

Jacobs’ life.

Slave narratives are filled with power and emotion; however, there is something more

impactful about a slave woman’s story. The lives of women have unfortunately been fraught with

Linda Brent and L. Maria Child, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Seven Years Concealed (Auckland, New Zealand: The
Floating Press, 1861).
Henry Bibb Solomon Northup, “The Source: Challenging the “Peculiar Institution”: Slave Narratives from the
Antebellum South,” in Going to the Source Volume I: To 1877, n.d.
unnecessary challenges for millennia, and the slave trade only served to exacerbate this problem.

Women are known to write more emotional pieces and are overall thought to be better writers by

stereotypes, and emotion is really what drives these true-to-life stories into our hearts. This is

what makes a woman’s point of view the most impactful and attention-grabbing. People are, by

nature, intrigued by emotional pieces of work; women, throughout history, have been encouraged

to take on more home-oriented jobs such as teacher, nanny, or servant, because women were

thought to be weaker and more submissive than men. This is directly and effectively magnified

and shown through the stories of women who were enslaved.

Enslaved women had to go through not only physical but mental and emotional torture as

well. Since women were seen as submissive and better at home-oriented jobs, they would be

more likely to help around the house, which would lead to a lot of unwanted information and

unwanted advances. Jacobs mentions her girlhood in specific when talking about these unwanted

advances (Brent, 9). These advances were from her new master, who was forty years her senior.

In this passage, she talks about how careful slave women had to be. She writes about her

master’s persistent following and looming, always there and always watching; reminding her of

who she belonged to (Brent, 10). Her master would threaten her by saying that if she was not

silent about it to the grave, he would kill her. None of the other slaves would ask what was

wrong, because they were afraid they would be punished for asking or speaking about it.

The masters were not the only people to be wary of. Jacobs speaks of her jealous

mistress, who would be constantly suspicious and malevolent towards her slaves (Brent 1861,

11). Even if the mistress would bring up her troubles to her husband, he was ultimately the

dominant one and he would keep doing what he wanted because he knew there was nothing and

no one that could stop him. Slave men would most likely not have this factor in their lives. Since

Linda Brent and L. Maria Child, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Seven Years Concealed (Auckland, New Zealand: The
Floating Press, 1861).
Henry Bibb Solomon Northup, “The Source: Challenging the “Peculiar Institution”: Slave Narratives from the
Antebellum South,” in Going to the Source Volume I: To 1877, n.d.
the masters were the dominant characters in the household, even the mistresses would be scared

of him so they would most likely be faithful partners. Men were seen as stronger and were given

harder jobs such as working to build things or tend to animals, and were not often positioned in

the house, so a sexual aspect would not be a part of their story nor would they have the worry of

their master’s gaze.

Slave narratives are very complex pieces of literature that are layered with deep roots of

emotion and pain. They bring to light the true, raw horrors of slavery and aid in our

understanding of history. Harriet Jacobs was a brave woman who brought her story to paper and

documented her experiences as a woman in slavery. Her narrative aided in furthering the

abolitionist movement by bringing to light her traumatic story and others similar to it. The

psychological and emotional torture that was expressed through those stories were the backbone

of the abolitionist movement and expanded the knowledge and empathy of any person who read

them.

Linda Brent and L. Maria Child, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: Seven Years Concealed (Auckland, New Zealand: The
Floating Press, 1861).
Henry Bibb Solomon Northup, “The Source: Challenging the “Peculiar Institution”: Slave Narratives from the
Antebellum South,” in Going to the Source Volume I: To 1877, n.d.