Taylor Tavarez
What is the case that Harriet Jacobs makes against American slavery in her narrative, and how
do her life experiences illuminate race and social structure in the Antebellum American South?
Over two million slaves were brought to the American South from Africa. During post-
slavery, blacks were not allowed to threaten the white man’s character. Slavery has dominated
southern life. They were relied on to grow crops, such as tobacco, rice, cotton, and indigo. Slaves
were there to make slave owners fortunes. Their presence shaped southern society and culture
(Faragher, Pg. 253). They were seen as the most important aspect in society, but they were not
treated that way. Harriet Jacob’s narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl highlights the
many struggles slaves had to overcome in the American South. Her life experiences give
