Preface by the Author
Author and narrator, born and reared in slavery, now living in the North and writing to expose the realities of bondage.
Introduction by the Editor
The author of the autobiography, personally known to the editor, described as intelligent and much-injured.
Seven Years Concealed
Endures seven years of concealment in a cramped garret, suffering from lack of air, light, and movement, but remains determined to avoid Dr. Flint.
Childhood
Narrator and protagonist; recalls her happy early childhood and the dawning awareness of her enslaved status.
The New Master and Mistress
Narrates her grief at her father's death and her desolation in the Flint household.
III: The Slaves’ New Year’s Day
Narrator who describes the horrors of New Year's Day for enslaved people, including witnessing a mother's children sold away.
The Slave Who Dared to Feel Like a Man
Narrator; reflects on her hatred of Dr. Flint and her desire for freedom; supports Benjamin's escape despite her fears.
V: The Trials of Girlhood
Narrates her entry into the trials of girlhood, facing Dr. Flint's sexual advances and the degradation of slavery.
VI: The Jealous Mistress
Narrates her sixteenth year, enduring Dr. Flint's harassment and Mrs. Flint's jealousy, while maintaining hope for escape.
VII: The Lover
Narrates her first love and the anguish of being a slave; she is determined to protect her lover from Dr. Flint's wrath and begins to plan escape with her brother.
What Slaves Are Taught to Think of the North
Narrator who exposes the lies told to slaves about the North and reflects on the impact of the Fugitive Slave Law.
Sketches of Neighboring Slaveholders
Narrator and witness to the cruelties described, speaking from her own experience of twenty-one years in slavery.
X: A Perilous Passage in the Slave Girl's Life
Desperate to escape Dr. Flint's plan, she makes a calculated decision to enter a relationship with Mr. Sands, leading to pregnancy and her grandmother's rejection.
XI: The New Tie to Life
Returns to grandmother's house after childbirth; confronts Dr. Flint's abuse; suffers severe illness and gives birth to a premature son; finds both solace and anguish in motherhood.
Fear of Insurrection
Linda arranges the house to face the search, confronts soldiers during the invasion, and observes the brutal treatment of Black people.
The Church and Slavery
Narrates her experiences attending church services and secretly teaching Uncle Fred to read.
Another Link to Life
Linda suffers physical and emotional abuse from Dr. Flint after the birth of her child, and feels deep shame and despair over her children's lack of legal rights.
XV: Continued Persecutions
Linda endures Dr. Flint's physical and verbal abuse, protects her children, and secretly plans their escape.
XV: Continued Persecutions
Rose, a young girl sold by Dr. Flint, visits grandmother's house and defies Dr. Flint's orders to leave.
Scenes at the Plantation
Linda is forced to work at the plantation, enduring the cruelty of the Flints and the pain of seeing her daughter suffer. She resolves to escape when she learns her children will be brought to the plantation.
XVII: The Flight
Linda makes the agonizing decision to flee, leaving her children behind to prevent Dr. Flint from using them to control her.
XVIII: Months of Peril
Hides in fear, receives messages, and endures the anguish of her children's imprisonment.
XIX: The Children Sold
Linda is hidden in her garret, tormented by uncertainty about her children. She experiences a vision of them and later learns they have been bought by Mr. Sands, bringing her first real happiness since childhood.
XX: New Perils
Disguised as a sailor, hides in a swamp, and is moved to her grandmother's house.
XXI: The Loophole of Retreat
Narrates her experience hiding in the garret, enduring physical discomfort and isolation, but finding comfort in watching her children and receiving family support.
Christmas Festivities
Spends her first Christmas in the garret, secretly making garments for her children and watching them from a distance.
Still in Prison
Endures extreme physical and emotional suffering in the garret, including illness, delirium, and helplessness as she watches her family struggle.
XXIV: The Candidate for Congress
Linda risks her safety to confront Mr. Sands about emancipating her children, showing her desperation and maternal devotion.
Competition in Cunning
Orchestrates a cunning plan to write letters from New York to deceive Dr. Flint, while hiding in the garret.
Important Era in My Brother’s Life
Narrator; feels selfish for worrying about her children's future instead of rejoicing in William's freedom; later prays for forgiveness.
New Destination for the Children
Desperately seeks to secure her children's freedom, negotiates with Mr. Sands, and shares a poignant farewell with Ellen.
XXVIII: Aunt Nancy
Narrator who mourns Nancy's death from her hiding place, feeling that her own troubles contributed to Nancy's decline.
Preparations for Escape
Linda plans her escape after seven years in hiding, grappling with the decision to leave her son and the physical and emotional toll of her imprisonment.
XXX: Northward Bound
Narrates the escape voyage, grappling with distrust of white men and the emotional turmoil of leaving her children.
Incidents in Philadelphia
Arrives in Philadelphia, meets Rev. Durham, and confronts Northern racism.
The Meeting of Mother and Daughter
Arrives in New York, reunites with her daughter Ellen, and begins efforts to secure her children's freedom.
A Home Found
Linda secures employment with Mrs. Bruce, is reunited with her brother William, and continues to worry about her children, especially Ellen.
The Old Enemy Again
Receives and sees through Dr. Flint's deceptive letter; arranges for Benjamin's journey north; returns to work for Mrs. Bruce but remains haunted by fear of recognition.
Prejudice Against Color
Narrates her experiences of racial prejudice while traveling with the Bruce family.
The Hairbreadth Escape
Narrator and protagonist; flees to Boston after Mr. Thorne betrays her location to Dr. Flint.
A Visit to England
Travels to England with Mary Bruce, experiences freedom from racial prejudice, and undergoes a religious conversion.
XXXVIII: Renewed Invitations to Go South
Returns to Boston, finds Ellen well but Benny gone; receives a deceptive letter from Miss Emily Flint; resolves to resist Southern entrapment and prioritize her children's future.
The Confession
Confesses her past to Ellen and struggles with the fear of losing her daughter's love.
XL: The Fugitive Slave Law
Returns to New York and works as a nurse for Mrs. Bruce, living in fear under the Fugitive Slave Law. She eventually flees to New England with the baby to avoid capture.
Free at Last
Reflects on her freedom, the bill of sale, and her unfulfilled dream of a home.
Appendix
The author, whose story is attested to by Amy Post and George W. Lowther; she struggled with the shame of recounting her experiences and the galling nature of being purchased for freedom.
