The story was based upon the popular rumor that thomas jefferson fathered several children with. This modern library paperback classics edition reproduces the first, 1853, edition of clotel and includes, as did that edition, his autobiographical narrative, the life and escape of william wells brown, plus newly written notes. He published clotel in london, where he stayed to evade recapture under the 1850 fugitive slave act. He is a founding editor of the journal book history. Born into slavery in the southern united states, brown escaped to the north in 1834, where he worked for abolitionist causes and was a prolific writer. This novel focuses on the difficult lives of mulattoes in america and the degraded and immoral condition of the relation of master and slave in the usa brown. He escaped, became an abolitionist and a writer in england, and was purchased by friends and freed in the middle of the 19th century. Cultural and historical background chronology of browns life and times a note on the text and annotations clotel or, the presidents daughter 1853 edition.
Born a slave and kept functionally illiterate until he escaped at age nineteen, william wells brown refashioned himself first as an agent of the underground railroad and then as an antislavery activist and selftaught orator and author, eventually becoming a foundational figure of african american literature. He was also an extensive plagiarist, copying at least 87,000 words from close to 300 texts. Clotel, or the presidents daughter isbn 9781563248030 pdf. This acclaimed book by william wells brown is available at in several formats for your ereader. He published clotel in 1853 as the first novel written by a black american. Drawing on what were, in the 19th century, rumors that thomas jefferson had children with his slave sally hemings, the novel follows the slave clotel and her family as they are sold to different masters. Abstract this essay situates william wells browns novel clotel. An electronic scholarly edition edited by professor christopher mulvey the louverture project. He was also the first to have a play and a travel book published brown was born to a black slave mother and a white slaveholding father. The rhetorical strategies of harriet beecher stowe and william wells brown. Clotel, or the presidents daughter by william wells brown free. William wells brown, though born into slavery, escaped to become one of the most prominent reformers of the nineteenth century and one of the earliest historians of the black experience.
In the story president thomas jefferson and his former mulatto mistress currer have. Bibliography includes bibliographical references p. This was the first of the four editions that comprise the first novel published by an african american writer. Based on facts and narratives that william wells brown collected on his own journey out of slavery, clotel unashamedly looks many facets of slavery in the eye and calls them out as the horrors they are. Clotel or, the presidents daughter by william wells brown. Many people prefer to read offline or to print out text and read from the real printed page. Author william wells brown was an escaped slave from kentucky active on the antislavery circuit. This novel explores slaverys destructive effects on africanamerican families, the difficult lives of american mulattoes or mixedrace people, and the degraded and immoral condition of the relation of master and slave in the united states of america. William wells brown citation search in wright american fiction, 18511875 clotel by william wells brown.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Browns ambivalent approach to thomas jefferson in his novel matches what could be seen in the 1850s as jeffersons. In her earlier years, clotels mother, currer, was a servant of jefferson. Or, the presidents daughter by william wells brown free.
You can also read the full text online using our ereader. William wells brown books free pdf books bookyards. This book is available for free download in a number of formats including epub, pdf, azw, mobi and more. Preface more than two hundred years have elapsed since the first cargo of slaves was landed on the banks of the james river, in the colony of virginia, from the west coast of africa. Librivox recording of clotel, or, the presidents daughter, by william wells brown. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of clotel.
Download pdf clotel or the president s daughter free. Brown learned of the scandal while working in several antislavery activities following his escape from slavery in 1834. Brown, who escaped from slavery in 1834 at the age of 20, published the book in london. The novel tells the story of clotel and althesa, the fictional daughters of thomas jefferson and his. Born into slavery in montgomery county, kentucky, near the town of mount sterling, brown escaped to ohio in 1834 at the age of 19. With a sketch of the authors life by william wells brown, 18151884. Clotel, or the presidents daughter by william wells brown. By william wells brown, a fugitive slave, author of three years in europe. When the book was published, brown himself was legally the property of someone else within the united states, having escaped from slavery in kentucky when he was younger. William wells brown november 6, 1814 november 6, 1884 was a prominent africanamerican abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian. Clotel, who is described by william wells brown as the daughter of thomas jefferson. Clotel or the presidents daughter, by william wells brown. On november 6, 1884, william wells brown died in chelsea, massachusetts.
This was the first of the four editions that comprise the first novel published by. About the series about this volume list of illustrations part i. Jefferson, thomas, 17431826 relations with women fiction subject. This library of america series edition is printed on acidfree paper and features smythsewn binding, a full cloth cover, and a ribbon marker. This is the story of clotel and her sister, the fictional slave daughters of thomas jefferson, and their attempt to escape and find freedom. William wells brown 18141884 was a vocal abolitionist, a frequent antagonist of frederick douglass, and the author of clotel, the first known novel by an african american. William wells brown on jeanjacques dessalinesthe black man, his antecedents, his genius, and his achievements. William wells browns clotel wesscholar wesleyan university. Clotel was sixteen, and was admitted by all to be the most beautiful girl, coloured or white, in the city. Brown revised it three times for publication in the united statesserially and in book formeach time changing the plot, the title, and the names of characters.
He settled in boston, massachusetts, where he worked for abolitionist causes and became. Interestingly, brown opens the novel with a shortened version of his narrative. So attentive was the young man to the quadroon during the evening that it was noticed by all, and became a matter of general conversation. Or, the presidents daughter by william wells brown. This modern library paperback classics edition reproduces the first, 1853, edition of clotel and includes, as did that edition, his autobiographical narrative. Clotel, or, the presidents daughter by william wells. Clotel, or, the presidents daughter internet archive. William wells brown, a contemporary of frederick douglass, was well known, isbn 9781563248030 buy the clotel, or the presidents daughter ebook. Unguarded expressions of the feelings of the negroes. The novel clotel, by william wells brown essay 1819. The book is considered the first novel published by an african american. Others want to carry documents around with them on their mobile phones and read while they are on the move.
A narrative of slave life in the united states, novel by william wells brown, first published in england in 1853. William wells brown and the jefferson and hemings scandal william wells brown wrote clotel or the presidents daughter, a fiction novel based on the rumors surrounding thomas jeffersons affair with sally hemings, his slave. William wells brown divided and differently partitioned. Free download of clotel or the presidents daughter by william wells brown. This 74page guide for clotel by william wells brown includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 29 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. It is often considered the first africanamerican novel. Discussion of themes and motifs in william wells browns clotel. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature.
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