Biography of an American Bondman by His Daughter (Paperback or Softback)

Josephine Brown presents a detailed biography of her father, William Wells Brown, who was born on a plantation but escaped to become a successful abolitionist. Biography of an American Bondman by His Daughter is a viable supplement to the original Narrative of William W. Brown: A Fugitive Slave Biography of an American Bondman by His Daughter gives new insight into William Wells Brown’s eventful life. Josephine Brown presents a vivid account of his origins which began on a Kentucky plantation. She explains the glaring power imbalance between enslaved people, their overseers and plantation owners. She also explains how her father was hired out to perform various odd jobs including innkeeper, steamboat captain and even slave trafficker. It was a brutal existence where patience and persistence were key to survival. An illuminating record of one of the most prominent figures in the abolitionist movement. Josephine Brown provides an updated history of her father’s personal and professional achievements. It’s an eye-opening account of William Wells Brown’s revolutionary life.

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Josephine Brown (1839–1874) was an African American writer and youngest daughter of abolitionist and lecturer, William Wells Brown. She was raised in Massachusetts where she was educated, alongside her sister, at a boarding school. During her youth, Josephine would attend her father’s many speaking engagements. She eventually joined him in his efforts as a teacher and antislavery lecturer. In an effort to preserve William’s legacy, Josephine wrote Biography of an American Bondman, which was published in 1855.