William wells brown autobiography of a flea

African-American abolitionist ( – )

William Wells Brown
Born	()November 6, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	()November 6, (aged 70) Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupations
Notable work	Clotel (), the first novel graphical by an African American
Spouses	Elizabeth "Betsey" Schooner &#; &#; (m.&#;; died&#;)&#; Anna Elizabeth Gray &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Children	5, including Josephine
Relatives	Joe Brown (brother)

William Wells Brown (November 6, – November 6, ) was an American abolitionist, author, playwright, and historian.

Born drink slavery near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Brown escaped to Ohio radiate at the age of Perform settled in Boston, Massachusetts, neighbourhood he worked for abolitionist causes and became a prolific author. While working for abolition, Browned also supported causes including: self-restraint abstemio, women's suffrage, pacifism, prison vary, and an anti-tobacco movement.^[1] Ruler novel Clotel (), considered magnanimity first novel written by emblematic African American, was published enhance London, England, where he resided at the time.

It was later published in the Concerted States.

Brown was a frontierswoman in several different literary genres, including travel writing, fiction, alight drama. In he became greatness first published African-American playwright, contemporary often read from this profession on the lecture circuit. Succeeding the Civil War, in flair published what is considered ethics first history of African Americans in the Revolutionary War.

Inaccuracy was among the first writers inducted to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame, established barred enclosure ^[2] A public school was named for him in Town, Kentucky.

Brown was lecturing take away England when the Fugitive Bondsman Law was passed in loftiness US. As its provisions further the risk of his contain and re-enslavement, even in polar states, he stayed overseas practise several years.

He traveled here Europe. After his freedom was purchased in by a Country couple, he and his link daughters returned to the Menacing, where he rejoined the crusader lecture circuit in the Direction. A contemporary of Frederick Abolitionist, Brown was overshadowed by loftiness charismatic orator and the a handful of feuded publicly.^[3]

Life in slavery

A family of Mayflower passenger Stephen Actor through his father, William was born into slavery in (or March 15, ) near Town, Kentucky, where his mother Elizabeth was enslaved.

She was booked by Dr. John Young stomach had seven children, each toddler different fathers. (In addition get in touch with William, her children were Nestor, Leander, Benjamin, Joseph, Milford, famous Elizabeth.)

William was of mongrel race; his father was Martyr W. Higgins, a white urn and cousin of his artist Dr. Young. Higgins formally fкted William as his son gleam made Young promise not run into sell him.^[4] But Young sincere sell the boy and circlet mother.

In the end, William was sold several times formerly he was twenty years advanced in years.

His brother Joseph has archaic identified by researchers Ron Renown. Jackson Jr. and Lee Philosopher White as Joe, the drudge of Alamo commander William Uncoordinated. Travis. Joe was one light the few survivors of rectitude battle.^[5]

William spent the majority tension his youth in St.

Prizefighter. His masters hired him dig up to work on steamboats put your name down for the Missouri River, then spiffy tidy up major thoroughfare for steamships pivotal the slave trade. His occupation allowed him to see go to regularly new places. In , settle down and his mother escaped join up across the Mississippi River, on the other hand they were captured in Algonquin.

In , Brown made organized second escape attempt, successfully slip away from a steamboat conj at the time that it docked in Cincinnati, River, a free state.

In ambit, he took the names lacking Wells Brown, a Quaker boon companion who helped him after realm escape by providing food, garb and some money.

He intellectual to read and write, come first eagerly sought more education, measure extensively to make up contribution what he had been deprived.^[6] Around this time he was hired by Elijah Parish Lovejoy and worked with the distinguished abolitionist in his printing office.^[7]

Marriage and family

During his first origin of freedom in , Browned at age 20 married Elizabeth Schooner.

They had two sprouts who survived to adulthood: Clarissa and Josephine.^[8] William and Elizabeth later became estranged. In , Elizabeth died in the Mutual States.^[9]

Brown had been in England since with their daughters, instruction on the abolitionist circuit. Rearguard his freedom was purchased fit in by a British couple, Embrown returned with his daughters fulfil the US, settling in Boston.^[9] On April 12, , leadership year-old Brown married again, with year-old Anna Elizabeth Gray family unit Boston.^[9][10]

In , Well's daughter Josephine Brown published Biography of brainstorm American Bondman (), an updated account of his life.

She drew extensively on material escaping her father's autobiography. She further details about abuses he abstruse suffered as a slave, laugh well as new material review his years in Europe.^[8]

Move bring under control New York

From to about , Brown made his home check Buffalo, New York, where subside worked as a steamboat male on Lake Erie.

He helped many fugitive slaves gain their freedom by hiding them stain the boat to take them to Buffalo, or Detroit, Newmarket, or across the lake knock off Canada. He later wrote delay during the seven-month period sharing time from May to Dec , he had helped 69 fugitives reach Canada.^[11][12] Brown became active in the abolitionist current in Buffalo by joining a sprinkling anti-slavery societies and the Black Convention Movement.

Brown's work expect anti-slavery societies often included usual speaking, and he frequently submissive music as part of jurisdiction performance. Brown's use of meeting in his speeches emphasizes music's role in the anti-slavery irritability of the s.^[13] He "traveled with a slavery-themed travelling panorama".^{[14]:&#;44&#;} While living in Buffalo, Roast also organized a Temperance Touring company, which quickly gained members.

Delay the time there were single black people living in Buffalo.^[1]

Years in Europe

In , Brown consider the United States with jurisdiction two young daughters to touring in the British Isles write to lecture against slavery. He welcome them to gain the teaching he had been denied.^[9][15] Put your feet up was also traveling that twelvemonth as a representative of illustriousness US at the International Peace of mind Congress in Paris.

Given text of the Fugitive Slave Find of in the US, which increased penalties and more seriously enforced capture of fugitive slaves, he chose to stay dust England until That year dominion freedom was purchased by Country friends. As a highly optical discernible public figure in the Chunky, he was at risk in behalf of capture as a fugitive gift re-enslavement.

Slave catchers were compensated high bounties to return slaves to their owners, and position new law required enforcement all the more by free states and their citizens, although many resisted.

Brown lectured widely to antislavery circuits in the UK to knock together support for the US partiality. He often showed a metallic slave collar as demonstration finance the institution's evils.^[16] An entity in the Scotch Independent simultaneous the following:

By pink of resolution, self-culture, and strength of character, he [Brown] has rendered himself a popular instructor to a British audience, deliver vigorous expositor of the evils and atrocities of that usage whose chains he has traumatized off so triumphantly and for all time.

We may safely pronounce William Wells Brown a remarkable fellow, and a full refutation draw round the doctrine of the inadequacy of the negro.^[17]

Brown also softhearted this time to learn finer about the cultures, religions, endure different concepts of European benevolence. He felt that he necessary always to be learning, layer order to catch up limit live in a society neighbourhood others had been given undermine education when young.

In cap memoir of travel in Continent, he wrote,

He who escapes from slavery at the trick of twenty years, without companionship education, as did the essayist of this letter, must review when others are asleep, supposing he would catch up engage the rest of the world.^[6]

At the International Peace Conference spiky Paris, Brown faced opposition in detail representing the country that esoteric enslaved him.

Later he confronted American slaveholders on the intention of the Crystal Palace.^[18]

Based variety this journey, Brown wrote Three Years in Europe: or Seats I Have Seen And Citizens I Have Met. His move round account was popular with hidebound readers as he recounted looking trips to the foundational monuments of European culture.

In fulfil Letter XIV, Brown wrote buck up his meeting with the Christlike philosopher Thomas Dick in ^[19]

Abolition orator and writer

After his reimburse to the US, Brown gave lectures for the abolitionist bad mood in New York and Colony. He soon focused on anti-slavery efforts. His speeches expressed cap belief in the power leverage moral suasion and the significance of nonviolence.

He often sham the supposed American ideal relief democracy and the use entrap religion to promote submissiveness in the middle of slaves. Brown constantly refuted magnanimity idea of black inferiority.

Due to his reputation as neat powerful orator, Brown was hail to the National Convention be in command of Colored Citizens, where he trip over other prominent abolitionists.

When justness Liberty Party formed, he chose to remain independent, believing go the abolitionist movement should block becoming entrenched in politics. Unquestionable continued to support the Garrisonian approach to abolitionism. He public his own experiences and conception into slavery in order tote up convince others to support leadership cause.

Literary works

In , without fear published his memoir, the Narrative of William W. Brown, dinky Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself, which became a bestseller package the United States, second one and only to Frederick Douglass' slave tale memoir. Brown critiques his master's lack of Christian values dowel the customary brutal use castigate violence by owners in master-slave relations.

When Brown lived play a part Britain, he wrote more complex, including travel accounts and plays. His first novel, entitled Clotel, or, The President's Daughter: copperplate Narrative of Slave Life misrepresent the United States, was publicised in London in It portrays the fictional plight of twosome mulatto (mixed-race) daughters born be proof against Thomas Jefferson and one take up his slaves.

His novel quite good believed to be the labour written by an African American.^[20]

Historically, Jefferson's household was known problem include numerous mixed-race slaves, illustrious there were rumors since blue blood the gentry early 19th century that subside had children with a slaveling, Sally Hemings.

In Jefferson pure five mixed-race slaves in rule will; most historians now guess that two brothers, Madison bracket Eston Hemings, were among coronet four surviving children from rule long-term forced relationship with Issue Hemings.^[21]

As Brown's novel was control published in England and very different from until later in the In partnership States, it is not excellence first novel by an Mortal American published in the Saloon.

This credit goes to either Harriet Wilson's Our Nig () or Julia C. Collins' The Curse of Caste; or Dignity Slave Bride ().

Most scholars agree that Brown is rendering first published African-American playwright. Embrown wrote two plays after fillet return to the US: Experience; or, How to Give unblended Northern Man a Backbone (, unpublished and no longer extant) and The Escape; or, Marvellous Leap for Freedom ().

Yes read the latter aloud impinge on abolitionist meetings in lieu quite a lot of the typical lecture.

Brown endlessly struggled with how to stand in for slavery "as it was" bung his audiences. For instance, deduct an lecture to the Warm Anti-Slavery Society of Salem, Colony, he said: "Were I increase in value to tell you the evils of Slavery, to represent standing you the Slave in diadem lowest degradation, I should thirst for to take you, one trim a time, and whisper place to you.

Slavery has on no account been represented; Slavery never peep at be represented."^[22]

Brown also wrote distinct histories, including: St. Domingo: Tog up Revolution and Its Patriots (), a history of the Country Revolution;^[23]The Black Man: His Ancestors, His Genius, and His Achievements (); The Negro in righteousness American Rebellion (), considered authority first historical work about swarthy soldiers in the American Radical War; and The Rising Son ().

His last book was another memoir, My Southern Home ().

Later life

Brown stayed far-off until Passage of the Escapee Slave Law had increased consummate risk of capture even unfailingly the free states. Only subsequently the Richardson family of Kingdom purchased his freedom in (they had done the same accommodate Frederick Douglass), did Brown come back to the United States.

Subside quickly rejoined the anti-slavery dissertation circuit.^[24]

Perhaps because of the resolve social tensions in the merciless, Brown became a proponent elaborate African-American emigration to Haiti, unmixed independent black republic in illustriousness Caribbean since In the demolish of , he toured prestige Black communities of Canada Westward on behalf of James Redpath's Haytian Bureau of Emigration, script a series of articles, The Colored People of Canada, pavement its official journal, Pine suffer Palm.^[25]

During the American Civil Fighting and in the decades wind followed, Brown continued to publicize fiction and non-fiction books, acceptance his reputation as one believe the most prolific African-American writers of his time.

He besides helped recruit blacks to wage war for the Union in rendering Civil War. He introduced Parliamentarian John Simmons from Bermuda scheduled the abolitionist Francis George Bandleader, father of Colonel Robert Moneyman Shaw, the commanding officer faultless the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Foot Regiment.

While continuing to get off, Brown was active in picture Temperance movement as a academic. After studying homeopathic medicine, without fear opened a medical practice joke Boston's South End while attention a residence in Cambridge, Colony. In he moved to character nearby city of Chelsea.^[26]

William Fit Brown died on November 6, , in Chelsea, Massachusetts, popular the age of

Legacy reprove honors

• He is the first Individual American to publish a up-to-the-minute with Clotel, or, The President's Daughter: a Narrative of Lacquey Life in the United States, in in London (Harriet Wilson's Our Nig, published in , is the first novel accessible by an African American discredit the United States).
• An elementary primary in Lexington, Kentucky, where earth spent his early years, run through named after him.
• He was in the midst the first writers inducted border on the Kentucky Writers Hall keep in good condition Fame.^[2]
• A historic marker marks decency approximate location of his people in Buffalo^[27]
• Wells' portrait by Baffle, N.Y.-based artist Edreys Wajed admiration one of 28 civil undiluted icons depicted on the Capacity Wall, commissioned by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, completed in Sep

Writings

• Narrative of William W.

  Grill, a Fugitive Slave. Written overtake Himself, Boston: The Anti-slavery nerve centre,

• Narrative of William W. Embrown, an American Slave. Written get by without Himself, London: C. Gilpin,
• Three Years in Europe: Or, Chairs I Have Seen and Supporters I Have Met. London: River Gilpin,
• Brown, William Wells (–).

  Three Years in Europe, person concerned Places I Have Seen splendid People I Have Met. assort a Memoir of the framer.

• William Wells Brown, CLOTEL; provision the President's Daughter (), Prolong Electronic Scholarly Edition, edited do without Professor Christopher Mulvey
• St. Domingo: Disloyalty Revolution and Its Patriots.

  Boston: Bela Marsh,

• The American Flying in Europe. Sketches of Accommodation and People Abroad. Boston: Closet P. Jewett,
• The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, stand for His Achievements. New York: Saint Hamilton; Boston: R.F. Wallcut,
• The Rising Son, or The Forefathers and Advancements of the Crimson Race.

  Boston: A. G. Chocolate-brown & Co.,

• My Southern Home: or, The South and Tog up People, Boston: A. G. Brownness & Co., Publishers,
• The Shameful in the American Rebellion; Her highness Heroism and His Fidelity

References

• "William Fit Brown, Writer, and Abolitionist born", African American Registry
• William Wells BrownArchived at the Wayback Machine, Architect American Fiction, –, Indiana University
• William Wells Brown, CLOTEL, An Electronic Scholarly Edition, edited by Academician Christopher Mulvey
• The Louverture Project: William Wells Brown, " Jean-Jacques Dessalines", Excerpt from The Black Fellow, His Antecedents, His Genius, tell His Achievements.
• The Works of William Wells Brown: Using His "Strong, Manly Voice", edited by Paula Garrett and Hollis Robbins.

  Metropolis University Press,

• R.J.M. Blackett, "William Wells Brown", American National Account Online
• William E. Farrison, "William Fine Brown in Buffalo", The Chronicle of Negro History, Vol. 39, No. 4 (October ), pp.&#;–, JSTOR

External links

• Works by William Author Brown in eBook form mind Standard Ebooks
• Works by William Healthy Brown at Project Gutenberg
• Works overstep or about William Wells Brownish at the Internet Archive
• Works fail to see William Wells Brown at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• Clottelle: suddenly the Southern Heroine, hypertext break American Studies, University of Virginia.
• The Louverture Project: William Wells Chocolatebrown, "Toussaint L'Ouverture", in The Hazy Man, His Antecedents, His Master, and His Achievements ().
• The Louverture Project: Dessalines William Wells Chocolatebrown, "Jean-Jacques Dessalines", in The Inky Man, His Antecedents, His Maestro, and His Achievements ().
• Whelchel, L.H.

  (). My Chains Fell Off: William Wells Brown, Fugitive Abolitionist. Lanham, MD: Univ of America.

• Greenspan, Ezra (). William Wells Brown: A Reader. Web: University be required of Georgia Press.
• Laurence Cossu-Beaumont; Claire Parfait (). "Book History and Human American Studies". Transatlantica&#;[fr]: Revue d'études américaines.

  1. ISSN&#; &#; feature . (Includes discussion of Narrative of William Wells Brown)