Twelve Years a Slave (1853) is considered to be one of the most riveting and important documents recounting slavery in the United States. It is the heart-rending memoir of a free black man who is taken hostage and sold into slavery in a Louisiana plantation, his twelve years of bondage, and his remarkable escape to freedom. Since its publication, this classic has become a historical reference for its salient of depiction of life as a slave in the...

Perhaps the best written of all the slave narratives, Twelve Years a Slave is a harrowing memoir about one of the darkest periods in American history. It recounts how Solomon Northup, born a free man in New York, was lured to Washington, D.C., in 1841 with the promise of fast money, then drugged and beaten and sold into slavery. He spent the next twelve years of his life in captivity on a Louisiana cotton plantation. After his rescue, Northup published...

Former slave, impassioned abolitionist, brilliant writer, newspaper editor and eloquent orator whose speeches fired the abolitionist cause, Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) led an astounding life. Physical abuse, deprivation and tragedy plagued his early years, yet through sheer force of character he was able to overcome these obstacles to become a leading spokesman for his people.
In this, the first and most frequently read of his three autobiographies,...

This autobiographical account by a former slave is one of the few extant narratives written by a woman. Written and published in 1861, it delivers an unflinching portrayal of the brutality of slave life. Jacobs speaks frankly of her master's abuse and her eventual escape, in an inspirational account of one woman's dauntless spirit and faith.--From publisher description.

A biography of the African American woman who escaped from slavery, led slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad, aided Northern troops during the Civil War, and worked for women's suffrage.

"A biography of Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist leader who played a key role in helping enslaved people escape via the Underground Railroad."--Provided by publisher.

Behind the Scenes is the life story of Elizabeth Keckley, a shrewd entrepreneur who, while enslaved, raised enough money to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Keckley moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked as a seamstress and dressmaker for the wives of influential politicians. She eventually became a close confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln. Several years after President Lincoln's assassination, when Mrs. Lincoln's financial situation had...

A simple biography of the woman who escaped life as a slave and then rescued other slaves as a conductor in the Underground Railroad.

Born a slave, Harriet Tubman was determined not to remain one. She escaped from her owners in Maryland in 1849 and then fearlessly returned thirteen times times to help guide family members and others to freedom as the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad. Her bravery served her well in the Union army, where she was a cook , a nurse, and a spy. During and after the war, she helped hundreds of freed slaves begin new lives, founded a

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"Find out about the life of Harriet Tubman and how her brave actions working to "conduct" the Underground Railroad helped the Union Army in the Civil War lead more than 700 slaves to freedom."--