Glossary
19th-Century Gender Norms
Societal expectations and roles for men and women prevalent in the 1800s, which influenced how slave narratives were crafted and received by their audiences.
Example:
To gain sympathy from white female readers, authors of slave narratives often presented themselves in ways that aligned with prevailing 19th-century gender norms of virtue and piety.
Abolitionist Movement
A social and political movement in the 18th and 19th centuries dedicated to the immediate and complete end of slavery.
Example:
Slave narratives, like those of Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass, were vital tools for the abolitionist movement, swaying public opinion against slavery.
Abortion-Inducing Plants
Herbal remedies used by enslaved women to terminate pregnancies, often those resulting from sexual violence by enslavers.
Example:
Facing the horror of bearing a child conceived through rape, an enslaved woman might secretly seek out and use abortion-inducing plants like cotton root bark.
Agency (Enslaved Women)
The capacity of enslaved women to act independently and make choices, even within the extreme constraints of slavery, evident in their diverse forms of resistance.
Example:
Despite facing immense oppression, enslaved women demonstrated remarkable agency through their use of abortion-inducing plants, escape attempts, and other forms of defiance.
Antebellum South
The period in the Southern United States before the American Civil War (roughly 1800-1860), characterized by the widespread institution of chattel slavery.
Example:
Harriet Jacobs's experiences, as detailed in her narrative, offer a vivid glimpse into the daily realities of enslaved women living in the Antebellum South.
Autonomy (in slave narratives)
The desire for self-governance and control over one's own life and body, a central theme in many slave narratives, particularly those by men.
Example:
The pursuit of literacy and the ability to make one's own decisions were crucial expressions of autonomy for enslaved individuals seeking freedom.
Early Feminist Movements
The initial waves of social and political activism advocating for women's rights, which often found common cause with abolitionism.
Example:
The experiences detailed in women's slave narratives helped inform and energize the early feminist movements by exposing the compounded oppressions faced by Black women.
Emasculation
The process of depriving a man of his male role, identity, or power, a psychological and physical assault that slavery inflicted upon enslaved men.
Example:
The inability to protect one's family or control one's labor under slavery was a profound form of emasculation that many enslaved men struggled against.
Escape (as resistance)
The act of running away from enslavement, often undertaken by enslaved women with their children to protect their families from exploitation and bondage.
Example:
To safeguard her children from the constant threat of sale or abuse, an enslaved mother might plan a perilous escape, seeking freedom for her entire family.
Hiding (Harriet Jacobs)
A prolonged and strategic act of concealment, exemplified by Harriet Jacobs, to avoid sexual exploitation and gain a measure of freedom.
Example:
Harriet Jacobs' remarkable seven-year period of hiding in a tiny attic demonstrated an extreme form of resistance against her enslaver's advances.
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
An influential 1860 autobiographical slave narrative by Harriet A. Jacobs, uniquely detailing the sexual exploitation and resistance strategies of enslaved women in the American South.
Example:
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is celebrated for its unflinching portrayal of the psychological and physical torment faced by enslaved women, particularly regarding sexual abuse.
Infanticide
The tragic act of killing an infant, sometimes chosen by enslaved mothers as a desperate measure to spare their children from the brutal realities of slavery.
Example:
The profound despair of slavery could lead an enslaved mother to consider infanticide, believing it a mercy to prevent her child from enduring a life of bondage.
Intersection of Race and Gender
The concept that race and gender are intertwined social categories that combine to create unique experiences of oppression and privilege.
Example:
Sojourner Truth's 'Ain't I a Woman?' speech powerfully illustrated the intersection of race and gender, highlighting how Black women faced distinct forms of discrimination.
Lynching
The extrajudicial killing of an individual by a mob, often by hanging, used as a tool of racial terror and social control, particularly against Black Americans.
Example:
Ida B. Wells-Barnett dedicated her life to exposing the horrors of lynching and its connection to sexual violence against Black women in the post-Reconstruction South.
Masculinity (in slave narratives)
The qualities associated with being a man, which enslaved men sought to assert and reclaim in their narratives as a direct challenge to the dehumanizing effects of slavery.
Example:
By recounting acts of defiance and protecting their families, enslaved men in their narratives aimed to demonstrate their masculinity despite the system's attempts to strip it away.
Men's Narratives (Slave Narratives)
Slave narratives authored by men, typically focusing on themes of physical resistance, the assertion of masculinity, and the struggle for autonomy.
Example:
A common theme in men's narratives was the recounting of defiant acts against enslavers, aiming to reclaim their manhood in a system designed to emasculate them.
Physical Resistance (Enslaved Women)
Direct acts of opposition by enslaved women against sexual abuse, demonstrating their refusal to be passive victims.
Example:
An enslaved woman might scratch, bite, or kick her enslaver to resist a sexual assault, showcasing her physical resistance.
Slave Narratives
Firsthand written accounts by formerly enslaved individuals detailing their experiences of bondage and their journey to freedom.
Example:
Frederick Douglass's autobiography is a powerful example of a slave narrative, providing an intimate look into the dehumanizing system of slavery.
The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave
A groundbreaking 1831 slave narrative by Mary Prince, providing a firsthand account of slavery in the British West Indies and influencing the British abolitionist movement.
Example:
The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave offered a rare and crucial perspective on the brutality of Caribbean plantation life, directly impacting public opinion in Britain.
Transatlantic Slave Trade
The forced transportation of millions of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
Example:
Mary Prince's narrative provided a direct testimony to the human cost and brutality inherent in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Women's Narratives (Slave Narratives)
Slave narratives authored by women, which often emphasized themes of domestic life, motherhood, and the unique challenges of sexual exploitation under slavery.
Example:
Unlike many male narratives, women's narratives frequently delved into the emotional toll of family separation and the constant threat to their bodily autonomy.
Women's Suffrage
The right of women to vote in political elections, a key demand of the feminist movement.
Example:
Figures like Frances Ellen Watkins Harper championed both the abolition of slavery and women's suffrage, recognizing the interconnectedness of these struggles for freedom.