Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Short summary on Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Harriet Ann Jacobs was born into slavery in 1813. She was sold several times and ended up living with her grandmother, who was also a slave. Her grandmother taught her how to read and write, something that was illegal for slaves at the time. Jacobs eventually escaped from slavery and wrote about her experiences in 1861.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is an autobiography written by Harriet Ann Jacobs, who was born into slavery in 1813. She wrote the book in 1861 and it was published in 1861. The book describes the struggles that Jacobs faced as a slave, as well as her eventual escape from slavery.

Jacobs lived with her grandmother and other relatives after her mother died when she was very young. Jacobs’s grandmother had been able to buy her freedom, but she still remained a slave because federal law prohibited free blacks from owning slaves.

In 1832, Jacobs moved to New York City with her father and stepmother. They settled in a boarding house on Cortlandt Street and Jacobs started attending school at the age of nine years old.

Shortly after arriving in New York City, Jacobs met John Tubman (known as Moses), who helped many slaves escape from Maryland through the Underground Railroad (an informal network of people who helped runaway slaves). Over time, Tubman became a close friend of Jacobs’s father and he eventually helped him escape from slavery in 1844.

General Essay Structure for this Topic

1. The beginning of Harriet Jacobs’ life as a slave
2. The abuse Harriet Jacobs faced as a slave
3. The sexual abuse Harriet Jacobs endured as a slave
4. Harriet Jacobs’ escape from slavery
5. Life as a free woman
6. The publication of “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”
7. The impact of “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”
8. Harriet Jacobs’ later years
9. The legacy of Harriet Jacobs
10. The importance of “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”