Product Description

The History of Mary Prince (1831) was the first narrative of a black woman to be published in Britain. It describes PrinceÂ’s sufferings as a slave in Bermuda, Turks Island and Antigua, and her eventual arrival in London with her brutal owner Mr Wood in 1828. Prince escaped from him and sought assistance from the Anti-Slavery Society, where she dictated her remarkable story to Susanna Strickland (later Moodie). A moving and graphic document, The History drew attention to the continuation of slavery in the Caribbean, despite an 1807 Act of Parliament officially ending the slave trade. It inspired two libel actions and ran into three editions in the year of its publication. This powerful rallying cry for emancipation remains an extraordinary testament to PrinceÂ’s ill-treatment, suffering and survival.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26382 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
Mary Prince (1788-1826) was born a slave in Bermuda. In 1815 she was sold to John Wood and taken to Antigua. Here she met Daniel James, a freeman, whom she married in 1826. In 1828, Prince was taken to England and claiming that the Woods had mistreated her she was allowed, under English law, to exercise her right to freedom and found employment as a domestic servant. Her story was published in 1831 and led to two libel trials. Sara Salih is Assistant Professor in English at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Judith Butler (Routledge 2002), and the editor, with Judith Butler, of The Judith Butler Reader (Blackwell, 2004). She is currently working on a book about representations of ‘brown’ women in England and Jamaica from the eighteenth century to the present day. Sara Salih is lecturer in English at Wadham College, Oxford. Sara Salih is Assistant Professor in English at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Judith Butler (Routledge 2002), and the editor, with Judith Butler, of The Judith Butler Reader (Blackwell, 2004). She is currently working on a book about representations of ‘brown’ women in England and Jamaica from the eighteenth century to the present day.

Customer Reviews

Gives a eye witness account of slavery
This book tells it like it was. However as the original story was told in order to aid the anti-slavery movement, Mary Prince does not give her personal feelings on her story, or how her experiences affected her. It is nevertheless a harrowing account of slavery and gives a human face to the nameless masses of slaves. The book is not worth the price, as the story itself is too short.

Excellent read
based on the first edition (1993)
I recommend this to all interested in slavery/abolition, colonialism and victorian studies. Moira Ferguson's introduction is a fantastic piece of criticism and scholarship with some excellent references - many of which I intend to follow-up. Mary Prince's story provides a very interesting human view of slavery and a rare female view. Of note to me were the primary sources, especially the many letters of the protagonists on both sides of debate and struggle.

Mary Prince
Good insight into a family born into slavery and how difficult it was to lead any kind of life, it was just an existance. Only one let down was the continuous reference checks to be made during reading,this may have been easier if the references were on the following page of the text. It certainly gave you information which would not have been made even during school History lessons. Well worth the read.