- 01Title Page and Publication Details
- 02Author’s Preface on Truth and Testimony
- 03L. Maria Child’s Editorial Introduction
- 01The Narrative as a True Account of Slavery
- 02The Purpose of Speaking to Northern Women
- 03Editorial Revision and Suppressed Names
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Slavery, gender, family, and resistance.
42Chapters
89Lessons
265Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Analyze the lived experience of slavery through Harriet Jacobs’s autobiographical narrative
- Explain how gender shaped vulnerability, exploitation, and resistance under slavery
- Describe the role of family separation, motherhood, and kinship in the text
- Identify the strategies Jacobs uses to resist abuse, surveillance, and control
- Discuss the relationship between slavery, religion, and hypocrisy in the antebellum South
- Summarize the significance of flight, concealment, and pursuit in Jacobs’s escape narrative
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 42
- Lessons
- 89
- Topics
- 265
- 01Harriet’s Parents and Skilled Carpenter Father
- 02The Grandmother’s Resourcefulness and Crackers Business
- 03Childhood Comforts Before Awareness of Slavery
- 01Death of Harriet’s Mother
- 02Bequeathed to a Child Mistress
- 03Learning to Read and Spell
- 01Harriet and Willie Become Dr. Flint’s Property
- 02Cold Reception in the New Home
- 03Father’s Death and the Household’s Indifference
- 01Grandmother’s Food and Clothing for the Children
- 02Unpaid Loan and Legal Powerlessness
- 03Aunt Marthy’s Public Sale and Rescue
- 01Mrs. Flint’s Food Control and Spite
- 02Dr. Flint’s Abuse of the Cook
- 03Punishment of the Plantation Slave in the Workhouse
- 01January Hiring Day Customs
- 02Slaves Begging for Humane Masters
- 03Whipping and Coercion of Unwilling Laborers
- 01Free Women’s Holiday Versus Bondwomen’s Sorrow
- 02Mothers Fearing the Sale of Their Children
- 03The Auction of Seven Children from One Mother
- 01The Fate of Aged Slaves After Labor Ends
- 01Grandmother’s Faith and Domestic Stability
- 02The Oven and Shared Comforts
- 03William’s Growing Spirit of Resistance
- 01Dr. Flint’s Verbal Abuse and Self-Assertion
- 02William’s Complaint About Slavery
- 03Harriet’s Decision Never to Be Conquered
- 01The Creaking Shoes and Mrs. Flint’s Pettiness
- 02Benjamin’s Fight with His Master
- 03Benjamin’s Resolve to Run North
- 01Shared Privileges with the Mistress’s Children
- 02The First Signs of Emotional Burden
- 03Silence Among the Other Slaves
- 01Dr. Flint’s Harassment of a Young Girl
- 02Fear and Foreboding in Girlhood
- 03The Loss of Childhood Security
- 01Harriet’s Comparison to Irish Paupers
- 02The Mistress’s Jealous Interpretation of Affection
- 03Harriet’s Plea for Kindness
- 01The Husband’s Perfidy and the Wife’s Resentment
- 02Grandmother’s Attempts to Buy Harriet
- 03Harriet as Property in the Household
- 01Why Enslaved People Dare to Love
- 02The Lover’s Free Birth and Social Obstacle
- 03Seeking Help from a White Woman
- 01The Doctor’s Violent Outburst
- 02The Threat of Being Sent South
- 03Harriet’s Fear of Exposure and Coercion
- 01False Stories Told to Enslave the Mind
- 02The Myth of Northern Cruelty
- 03The Slaveholder’s Control of Information
- 01The Figure of the Northern Man with Southern Principles
- 02Slaves’ Skepticism Toward Such Visitors
- 03The North as a Place of Hope and Confusion
- 01The Wealthy but Ill-Bred Planter
- 02Punishment in the Snow and Sleet
- 03The Slave Left Half Dead After Hanging
- 01The Slave Fed Bread and Water in Silence
- 02The Lady Who Manumits Her Slaves
- 03The Corruption of Slaveholders’ Children
- 01Fear of the Mistress as a Barrier
- 02The Doctor’s Bland Manipulation
- 03The Lover’s Growing Interest and Letters
- 01Harriet’s Attempt to Confess to Her Mistress
- 02The Desire to Tell Dr. Flint the Truth
- 03Waiting for Her Grandmother’s Counsel
- 01Grandmother’s Interview with Mr. Sands
- 02Dr. Flint’s Threats After the Birth
- 03The Demand for Silence and Submission
- 01The Child as a New Tie to Life
- 02The Doctor’s Continued Surveillance
- 03The Burden of Concealed Family Relations
- 01News of the Insurrection
- 02Slaveholders’ Fear Despite Claims of Contentment
- 03Militia and Armed Patrols
- 01The Search of the House for Weapons
- 02The Preserves Incident and Racial Mockery
- 03The Meaning of Fear in a Slave Society
- 01Slaveholders’ Religious Instruction After the Alarm
- 02Brother Pike’s Sermons to Enslaved People
- 03The Church’s Accommodation of Slavery
- 01The Christian Woman Who Freed Her Slaves
- 02The Sermon Against Trading in Men
- 03Harriet’s Challenge to Slaveholding Morality
- 01Returning to the Master’s House After Childbirth
- 02Dr. Flint’s Threats and Anger
- 03The Child as Another Link to Life
- 01Fear That the Child Will Inherit Slavery
- 02The Mother’s Desire for Freedom for Her Baby
- 03The Doctor’s Ongoing Control
- 01Dr. Flint’s Plans to Profit from the Children
- 02Harriet’s Determination to Protect Them
- 03The Doctor’s Physical Assaults
- 01Springtime Revival of Freedom Dreams
- 02The Offer of Freedom in Exchange for Submission
- 03The Monstrous Chance of the Children’s Destiny
- 01Traveling with the Sick Child
- 02Sending Ellen to Her Grandmother
- 03The Doctor’s Complaint About Permission
- 01Mrs. Flint’s Jealous Spite
- 02Memories of the Mother’s Blessing
- 03The Slaves’ Merry Preparations for a Holiday
- 01The Old Man Denied Food
- 02The Mistress’s Remark About Feeding Niggers on Grass
- 03The Burden of Three Generations
- 01Harriet’s Work Under Threat of Loss
- 02The Hidden Place and the Need for Secrecy
- 03Packing Clothes for the Children
- 01Fear of the Constable and Searchers
- 02Leaving the Plantation at Night
- 03The First Stage of Hiding
- 01The Search for the Fugitive
- 02Fear of Implicating Friends
- 03The Friend Who Agrees to Conceal Her
- 01Wishing the Children Had Been Sold
- 02The Doctor’s Revenge on Relatives
- 03The Emotional Cost of Hiding
- 01Dr. Flint’s Failed Trip to New York
- 02William and the Children in Jail
- 03The Wagon Ride to the Hotel
- 01Searching for News of the Children
- 02The Belief That Their Spirits Were Seen
- 03Trusting Promises About Their Welfare
- 01Uncle Phillip Arrested
- 02The Doctor’s Continued Revenge
- 03The Search for a Route North
- 01The Boat Signal and Return to the Vessel
- 02Heat, Mosquitoes, and Snakes in the Swamp
- 03The Difficulty of Leaving the Coast
- 01The Small Shed and Secret Loft
- 02The Tiny Space Above the Roof
- 03Living in Confinement for Years
- 01Seeing Familiar Faces Pass Below
- 02The Searchers and Reward Hunters
- 03The Fear of Discovery in the Free States
- 01Making Garments and Playthings for the Children
- 02The Pressure of Hiring Day
- 03Christmas as a Time of Mixed Emotion
- 01The Constable and the Free Colored Man
- 02Keeping Quiet During the Visit
- 03The Danger of Discovery at Christmas
- 01Spring Viewed Through the Aperture
- 02Longing for Air and Movement
- 03The Emotional Weight of Imprisonment
- 01Grandmother and Uncle Phillip’s Vigil
- 02Reviving with Cold Water
- 03The Doctor’s Unwelcome Presence
- 01The Doctor’s Third Visit to New York
- 02Election Season and Congressional Candidates
- 03The Father of the Children as a Political Figure
- 01Promises to Arrange a Purchase
- 02Hiding from the Family’s Approach
- 03The Ongoing Risk of Exposure
- 01The Claim That Harriet Would Return Voluntarily
- 02The Plan to Buy Her Through Relatives
- 03The Doctor’s Deceptive Letter Strategy
- 01Listening at the Open Door
- 02The Need to Hide in the Storeroom
- 03Physical Stiffness from Confinement
- 01William’s Employment with Mr. Sands
- 02Letters from Washington
- 03Harriet’s Anxiety Over His Decision
- 01The Calm Sabbath and the Children Outdoors
- 02The Locked Trunks and Sealed Note
- 03The Family’s Reluctance to Let Her Leave
- 01Mrs. Flint’s Intention to Reveal Paternity
- 02The Proposal to Send the Children North
- 03Dr. Flint’s Claim of Ownership
- 01Meeting Ellen and Benny in New York
- 02Mrs. Flint’s Anger at the Arrangement
- 03Questions About Legal Ownership
- 01The Great-Aunt’s Role in Harriet’s Life
- 02Her Marriage and Long Service
- 03Her Comforting Influence on the Family
- 01Mrs. Flint’s Ruin of Her Foster-Sister
- 02The Old Back Bent Under Care
- 03Harriet’s Gratitude and Anxiety
- 01The Dismal Garret as Long-Term Shelter
- 02The Reader’s Doubt About the Story
- 03The Need to Remain Hidden from Patrols
- 01Benny’s Sight of Fanny in Her Mother’s Hut
- 02Refusing to Spend More Money on Slaveholders
- 03Grandmother’s Emotional Collapse
- 01Peter’s Misidentification of Fanny as Linda
- 02Leaving the Nook for the Last Time
- 03Hope Rising Before Escape
- 01Meeting Uncle Phillip at the Appointed Place
- 02The Confusion and Physical Weakness of Departure
- 03Boarding the Vessel in Secret
- 01The Captain’s Friendly Manner
- 02Fanny’s Testimony and Reassurance
- 03Traveling Northward by Water
- 01Trusting Northern Friends
- 02Questions About Family and Identity
- 03The Shock of Urban Life and Fire Engines
- 01Learning That Fire Duty Was Not Required
- 02The Contrast Between Ignorance and Experience
- 03Philadelphia as a Place of Uncertainty
- 01The Crowded Streets and Carriage Ride
- 02The Emotional Meeting with Her Daughter
- 03Thanksgiving for Safety on Long Island
- 01Writing to the Father of the Children
- 02Seeking News of Brother William
- 03The Burden of Past Separation
- 01Harriet’s Need for Employment
- 02Improved Health but Lingering Weakness
- 03Barriers to Finding a Place
- 01Kindness Toward Ellen’s Eyesight
- 02The Proposal for Medical Care
- 03A Stable Home in the North
- 01Emily Flint’s Silence and the Forged Reply
- 02The Brother’s Disguised Handwriting
- 03Recognition of the Old Enemy’s Tactics
- 01Placing Benjamin with William
- 02Winter and Spring at Mrs. Bruce’s
- 03Faithful Domestic Service in the North
- 01The Steamboat Journey to Albany
- 02Tea Service and Racial Seating
- 03The Demand to Serve Rather Than Sit
- 01Polite Discrimination in Public Spaces
- 02The Limits of Free-State Equality
- 03Color Prejudice Outside the South
- 01Returning to New York to Visit Ellen
- 02Fear of Mrs. Hobbs’s Southern Brother
- 03Ellen’s Suspicion About Letters to the South
- 01Lawyer Hopper’s Advice
- 02The Move by the Stonington Route
- 03Keeping House with a Friend
- 01Mrs. Bruce’s Death
- 02The Loss of a Gentle Friend
- 03The Children’s Separation from Her
- 01Letters and Family Relations Abroad
- 02The Sanctity of Marriage and Parenthood
- 03British Sympathy for the Enslaved
- 01The Winter Passage Home
- 02Spectres on the Shores of the United States
- 03Fear of One’s Native Country
- 01Dr. Flint’s Claim to the Children
- 02The Law’s View of Property and Ownership
- 03The Danger of Renewed Southern Invitations
- 01Two Years of Self-Support in Boston
- 02The Plan to Send Ellen to Boarding School
- 03The Struggle to Confess the Past
- 01The Failed School Project
- 02The Family of Isaac and Amy Post
- 03Practical Christian Belief and Aid
- 01William’s Plan to Go to California
- 02Benjamin’s Intended Travel with Him
- 03Ellen’s School Success
- 01The Story of Luke and the Heirs
- 02The Risk of Capture by Speculators
- 03Refusal to Return Runaways Under the Law
- 01Mrs. Bruce’s Family’s Kindness
- 02The Hotel Encounter with the Dodges
- 03The Demand to Reveal Linda’s Whereabouts
- 01Refusing to Treat Herself as Property
- 02The Sacred Meaning of Friendship
- 03Living Free with Family and Friends
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