I Was Born a Slave: An Anthology of Classic Slave Narrative, 1772-1849

by Yuval Taylor (Editor), Charles R. Johnson (Foreword by)

Between 1760 and 1902, more than 200 book-length autobiographies of ex-slaves were published; together they form the basis for all subsequent African American literature. I Was Born a Slave collects the 20 most significant “slave narratives.” They describe whippings, torture, starvation, resistance, and hairbreadth escapes; slave auctions, kidnappings, and murders; sexual abuse, religious confusion, the struggle of learning to read and write; and the triumphs and difficulties of life as free men and women. Many of the narratives—such as those of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs—have achieved reputations as masterpieces; but some of the lesser-known narratives are equally brilliant. This unprecedented anthology presents them unabridged, providing each one with helpful introductions and annotations, to form the most comprehensive volume ever assembled on the lives and writings of the slaves.

Volume One (1770-1849) includes the narratives of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, Olaudah Equiano (Gustavus Vassa), William Grimes, Nat Turner, Charles Ball, Moses Roper, Frederick Douglass, Lewis & Milton Clarke, William Wells Brown, and Josiah Henson.

Genres: History

832 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1999

About the author

Yuval Taylor, whose books include Faking It, I Was Born a Slave, The Cartoon Music Book, and The Future of Jazz, lives in Chicago.

Reviews

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read "The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now a Resident of Canada" (1849) to see if there were any similarities with "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Henson took property and slaves to another location at his owner's request, and later regretted he did not allow the other slaves to escape. That regret does not appear in UTC.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is tough to read, but sometimes we have to reflect on the past so we don't repeat our mistakes.

[Diann Blakely]

Long before "crossover" hits like these, though, independent presses knew that interest in African American culture wasn't limited to black readers. Moreover, such houses believed that crucial chapters of the American experience could only be told from the black point of view.

One of the best of these independent presses is Lawrence Hill. Among its recent offerings is the "Library of Black America" series. Yuval Taylor, who serves as the series' general editor, also assembled its first volume, I WAS BORN A SLAVE: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CLASSIC SLAVE NARRATIVES, and its third, FREDERICK DOUGLASS: SELECTED SPEECHES AND WRITINGS. The latter condenses five volumes of Douglass' speeches, letters, articles, and editorials from Philip S. Foner's definitive set. The second volume in this handsome series collects the fiction of Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka, whose shamanic cameo in last year's Bulworth has led to a renewal of interest in his work.








(originally published in the NASHVILLE SCENE)

[Amy L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional, gritty and honest text....