Analysis Of Harriet Jacobs Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl

African Americans faced many issues as the result of slavery such as lack of literacy, sexual harassment, physical abuse, and discrimination largely showcased in American literature during the age of realism specifically in the books Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The roots of slavery go back to when the first African slaves were brought to Virginia, a north american colony in 1619 in order to help in producing larger quantities of profitable crops one of them being tobacco. African American slave labour was cheaper and more productive, allowing both the northern and especially southern colonies economies to flourish. Later due to differing opinions in the south and

Harriet’s often describes her initial mistress as being very kind towards her resulting in her feeling happy to do her work in fact she even taught Harriet how to read and write. Harriet said “she taught me to read and spell; and for this privilege, which so rarely falls to the lot of a slave, I bless her memory”. She was very correct in saying slave were seldom taught those skills as the South Carolina Act of 1740 and other similar ones stated that if a free person attempted to teach a slave how to read or write they would then be fined 100 dollars or imprisoned. Generally most white slaveowners were strongly opposed to slaves gaining a basic education as they felt that that would result in their authority being undermined and that eventually slaves would start to rebel. Another huge conflict in Harriet's life arose when she came under the control of Dr.Flint as he was aggressive and would frequently sexually harass her. He would tell her that “I was his property; that I must be subject to his will in all things. My soul revolted against the mean tyranny. But where could I turn for protection?”. This type of experience was not uncommon for many female slaves they were forced to have relations with their masters and often with other men as well. In fact this was so common to the point where the a rule was established called partus sequitur ventrem that stated that if a slave mother had a child with a free man her children would be considered slaves as their status was based on their mother's status. Her children would then be considered the property of her master and he could do whatever he pleased with them including selling them and separating the family. This rule was a tool that would ensure that African American slavery