The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace

Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography

by Jeffrey Brace, Benjamin F. Prentiss (With), Kari J. Winter (Editor)

The Blind African Slave recounts the life of Jeffrey Brace (né Boyrereau Brinch), who was born in West Africa around 1742. Captured by slave traders at the age of sixteen, Brace was transported to Barbados, where he experienced the shock and trauma of slave-breaking and was sold to a New England ship captain. After fighting as an enslaved sailor for two years in the Seven Years War, Brace was taken to New Haven, Connecticut, and sold into slavery. After several years in New England, Brace enlisted in the Continental Army in hopes of winning his manumission. After five years of military service, he was honorably discharged and was freed from slavery. As a free man, he chose in 1784 to move to Vermont, the first state to make slavery illegal. There, he met and married an African woman, bought a farm, and raised a family. Although literate, he was blind when he decided to publish his life story, which he narrated to a white antislavery lawyer, Benjamin Prentiss, who published it in 1810. Upon his death in 1827, Brace was a well-respected abolitionist. In this first new edition since 1810, Kari J. Winter provides a historical introduction, annotations, and original documents that verify and supplement our knowledge of Brace's life and times.

Genres: Nonfiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2005

Reviews

[Ethan Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful.

This is a forgotten slave narrative, and it does a really good job at giving new insights into the transatlantic slave trade and slavery in early America.

He also converted to Christianity despite the countless horrible examples of Christians around him. So I'm excited to see him in the future!

[Sarah Wahl]

I had to read this book for an early American literature class that I'm in, which I was already wary about because it's not my niche, but I really enjoyed it! This is a story that more people should hear, as you can hear Brace's emotions shine through Prentiss' more lawyer-like writing. One thing that I didn't understand at first is the mention of certain Bible verses at the end or during chapters, but after reading it to its full extent, these verses are actually quite strategic. The Bible has been used to condemn many different peoples, so I loved seeing Brace's view on it. What makes it even more fascinating is that Brace does define himself as a Christian man, which adds layers to these beliefs. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to hear the truth about what our country is founded on.

[Tress · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ADD BRACE'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY TO YOUR COLLECTION!!!
Written in a way which is approachable -- more so then other narratives/autobiographies of the period. So important and shares the difficult history of so many, from his birth to his capture, to the ships to various enslavers, to fighting in the Revolution to eventually making his home in a small Vermont town. Thank you for sharing your story, it's truly a shame it hasn't been recognized at the level it deserves yet.

[Marin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book for a class I took called Liberalism in the Black Imagination. A twist on a slave narrative by starting the novel across the Atlantic before delving into the slave story in the United States. Good for analysis, but due to the age of the text it is a litter thicker and harder of a narrative to follow.

[Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

intro was long & included things i found repetitive but overall. WHEW. this book is fantastic.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came across this book while researching for a series of posts about US veteran writers. Brinch's tale was transcribed after losing his site. Of particular interest to me was his time during the US Revolutionary War fighting through New Jersey and the Hudson Valley area. I'm truly happy this memoir and first-hand account of several poignant topics was resurrected and is available in print again.