Depictions of Slavery in 19th-Century American Literature Kara Cavallaro College

From the earliest days of Colonial America, to the end of the Civil War, slavery was an established practice. This brutal, amoral, and dehumanizing system prompted nineteenth-century American writers, black and white alike, to advocate for its end and, once abolished, to address its lingering after-effects. The initial intent of anti-slavery literature was to stir up public opinion against the viciousness and heartlessness of slave owners and the powerlessness and hopelessness of the people under their power. This was accomplished through writing that caused the reader to feel pity and compassion towards the victims. In William Wells Brown’s Clotel; or, the President’s Daughter, we see the incredible courage and sacrifice of black and mulatta women. Similarly, the tragic mulatto figure appears in Harriet E. Wilson’s Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black. The protagonist, is a young biracial girl who is an indentured servant to a family in the North, struggles with psychological and physical abuse from her racist employer. After slavery was abolished, a second focus of literature became prominent: inviting respect and admiration for the newly emancipated slaves. The result of this literature was to provide a means...