The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots

May 24, 2024 9:04 AM

A Furious, Forgotten Slave Narrative Resurfaces (NYT gift link) John S. Jacobs was a fugitive, an abolitionist — and the brother of the canonical author Harriet Jacobs. Now, his own fierce autobiography has re-emerged.

An extraordinary personal story, and impressive scholarly labor on the part of his biographer, as well.

John S. Jacobs (Wikipedia)

Unapologetically Free: A Personal Declaration of Independence From the Formerly Enslaved (brief excerpt from the text)

posted by praemunire (5 comments total)

That is absolutely remarkable. It's hard to overestimate how important American slave narratives are, they are such a rare and important insight into our history. To find a new one now is amazing. Doubly so that he found it by doing some searches of digital archives: you'd think this stuff would be all researched already. Nope!

I can recommend reading Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. It's quite readable, it's written like a novel with an accessible narrative. (It was edited and published in the author's time for distribution as an abolitionist text.) It's also unusual in being the story of a woman, most of the texts we have are from men. I won't say it's a fun read but it's excellent writing.
posted by Nelson at 9:51 AM on May 24 [5 favorites]

Daammmmn, give this a read.

“That devil in sheepskin called the Constitution of the United States,” the man wrote, is “the great chain that binds the north and south together, a union to rob and plunder the sons of Africa, a union cemented with human blood, and blackened with the guilt of 68 years.”"
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 9:55 AM on May 24 [13 favorites]

Wow! I literally moved Harriet Jacobs book off my bookshelf 5 minutes ago and it's sitting on my desk next to me. I'm moving classrooms and I have to inventory everything. I am really looking forward to reading these links.
posted by Hop123 at 10:32 AM on May 24 [1 favorite]

What a strange coincidence, I just started Vincent Woodward's The Delectable Negro, and he has just mentioned Jacobs! I look forward to reading these links!
posted by mittens at 1:14 PM on May 24 [1 favorite]

appreciated learning, via outlink, that melancholia could be revolutionary
posted by HearHere at 4:17 AM on May 25 [1 favorite]