Presents the slave narrative of Harriet A. Jacobs, published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent, and includes commentary about the people and places discussed by the author, as well as photographs and a selection of letters.
America's first black poet and her encounters with the founding fathers
Gates, Henry Louis
2003
Explores the roles of Phillis Wheatley and Thomas Jefferson in shaping African-American literary tradition, discussing how Phillis gained acceptance and freedom by being the first person of African descent to publish a book of poems in the English language in 1773. Discusses the effects of Jefferson's harsh criticism of the poet and her race.
Presents a biography of Bridget "Biddy" Mason, slave and businesswoman, providing information on her youth, her travel to California, and her achievements.
Offers a brief overview of the life of Harriet Tubman, discussing her childhood in slavery, years of freedom, involvement in the Underground Railroad, and other related topics.
In 1963, pregnant seventeen-year-old Adie Jenkins is intrigued by the diary of a young slave girl who had three illegitimate children with her master; and after she gives birth, Adie starts to wonder if her midwife is the daughter of the woman who wrote the journal.
the remarkable story of the friendship between a first lady and a former slave
Fleischner, Jennifer
2003
Describes the lives of Mary Todd Lincoln and sought-after dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly, a freed slave, and examines the role Elizabeth played in Mary's turbulent life before and after the president's assassination.