Harriet Jacobs 1813 ?

Harriet Jacobs  Born into slavery in North Carolina  Orphaned at the age of 16  Taken into the home of her owner and trained as a house servant  This is where Jacobs learned to read and write (normally forbidden to slaves)  When her owner died, she was “willed” to her mistress’s niece and sent to live with Dr. James Norcom  As a teen, she was subjected to harassment by Norcom  He was furious at her refusals of his advances, and sent her away to do hard labor as a plantation slave. He also threatened to do the same to her children.  She escaped from the plantation and found shelter with sympathetic family and friends (both black and white).

Harriet Jacobs  Found the safest place at her grandmothers – a tiny crawl space above a store room  Hid there for 7 yrs. Reading (mostly the Bible), writing, sewing, and watching her children  In 1842, she escaped to NYC – worked as a nursemaid and reunited with her children eventually  Spent the next 10 yrs. as a fugitive  Gained her freedom in 1852  Began writing the story of her life in 1853, published it herself in 1861 using the pen name Linda Brent  After the publication, she became an active abolitionist, working during the Civil War to relieve poverty and suffering of former slaves  Distributed clothing and supplies, raised money, and helped to establish schools and orphanages in Philadelphia, New York, Washington D.C., Alexandria, and Savannah