(1) It seems that in some cases, however, Jacobs resisted the customs of northern society that treated her as a lesser citizen.
She had been the victim of much ill treatment in the North, as she describes in her memoir, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861). Jacobs had now lived in the North for nineteen years and knew well the prejudices of even many abolitionists toward blacks. In this letter, Jacobs expresses her despair and fury at the Supreme Court's recent decision of the Dred Scott case, which declared that no slave or descendant of a slave could become a United States citizen.
Man is following the evil devices of his own heart-for he is not willing even to acknowledge us made in Gods own Image-have not the decision of the last few days-in Washington-decided this for us-I see nothing for the Black Man-to look forward toy-but to forget his old Motto-and learn a new one his long patient hope-must be might-and Strength Liberty-or-Death-Īccording to Jean Fagan Yellin's recent biography, Harriet Jacobs penned the above lines and sent them in a letter to Amy Post in March of 1857 (135).
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