Primary Source Analysis

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Ann Jacobs 

In this primary source, the author is Harriet Ann Jacobs. She tells her life story about how she was born into slavery, but escaped.

She starts out with a notice to the readers. She says that even though some of these events are very dramatic and incredible, they are nonetheless true. She also tells the reader to try and look at these events from her perspective and the situation that she was in.

She touches on how she thought she was born free, but she was really born a slave. She thought this for 6 years. She also talks about how there is a Slaves' New Year day. This is where they receive their new jobs and new masters.