The Deeper Wrong

HarrietAnnJacobs(1813–1897)wasbornintoslaveryinNorthCarolina,butescapedtothenorthtofleeherowner'ssexualadvances.Thisautobiographywaspublishedunderapseudonymin1861toprotectherfamily.ShebecameinvolvedwiththeAnti-SlaverySociety,speakingatmeetingsinsupportofabolition.Thebookwasaimedatmiddle-classwhitewomen,andstressestheimpactofslaveryonwomen'schastity,asslaveswerefrequentlysexuallyexploited.SheishighlycriticalofthenominalChristianityofthecultureofthesouthernStates.Muchofthenarrativedealswithhereffortstoregainherchildren,whohadremainedhermaster'sproperty.Jacobs'first-handaccountwasanearlypublicationofitstype,andmanyfoundtheabuseshesufferedshockingandunbelievable.Jacobsbecamearolemodelforfreedslaves,intakingcontrolofherlife,andhelpingotherstoadaptthrougheducation.