Harriet Jacobs

An item at American Writers Museum

Under the pseudonym Linda Brent, Harriet Jacobs recounts her incredible story, describing life under slavery and her harrowing escape after spending seven years hiding in a tiny attic crawlspace.

During the buildup to the Civil War, abolitionists published dozens of slave narratives. Jacobs's was the only book-length one written by an African-American woman. She refused to sidestep the issue of sexual exploitation, detailing her relentless harassment by her owner. In doing so, she hoped to raise awareness of the plight of other enslaved African-American women, "suffering what I suffered, and most of them far worse."

AMERICAN VOICES

An exhibit at American Writers Museum

American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.

This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.

American Writers Museum