Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black (1859) is an autobiographical novel by Harriet E. Wilson. Published anonymously, Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black is considered the first novel by an African American to be published in North America, having been rediscovered by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in 1981. Based on Wilson's own experience as a free black forced into indentured servitude in New Hampshire, the novel critiques the racism and indifference of white Northerners and abolitionists who claim to oppose slavery while upholding prejudice and injustice against African Americans. Abandoned by her white mother following the death of her father, a free black man, Frado is raised as an indentured servant on the Bellmont farm. The Bellmonts, a middle-class family, initially believe Frado has been dropped off by her mother for the day, but when Mag fails to appear for several days, they realize the girl has been left in their care. Unwilling to raise her as one of their own, the Bellmonts immediately put her to work in their kitchen. Although she is treated kindly by their son Jack, Frado is frequently beaten by Mrs. Bellmont, who resents having the young mixed-race girl in her house and sees her work as an intrusion on her own housekeeping duties. Suffering under Mrs. Bellmont's abuses, Frado longs to escape. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Harriet E. Wilson's Our Nig; or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black is a classic of African American literature reimagined for modern readers.

"I sat up most of the night reading and pondering the enormous significance of Harriet Wilson's "Our Nig."" -- Author Alice Walker
This seminal autobiographical novel, originally published in 1859, is believed to have been the first by an African-American woman. Harriet Wilson's compelling story describes the life of a mulatto girl who, after the death of her mother, is exploited first by a terrifying Northern family for whom she worked and then by an opportunistic husband.
A classic of African-American literature, "Our Nig" has made an enduring contribution to understanding the lives of free blacks in the nineteenth century. A fascinating combination of slave narrative and sentimental novel, the story traces the hardships and suffering of Frado, who grows up as an indentured servant to a white family in Massachusetts and spends much of her destitute life wandering through New England.
A clear and accurate account of race relations and perceptions of race in the antebellum North, "Our Nig" is essential reading for students of African-American history and culture.

In A Two-Story White House, North. Showing That Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There.

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This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

In A Two-Story White House, North. Showing That Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There.