Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Title

Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.

Creator

Jacobs, Harriet Brent

Contributor

Post, Amy Kirby, 1802-1889

Date

185 ?

Description

Handwritten letter from Harriet Brent Jacobs to Amy Kirby Post, 185-. Jacobs writes about Harriet Beecher Stowe‚Äôs intentions to travel to England to promote Jacobs's slave narrative.

Subject

Post, Amy Kirby, b. 1802

Is Part Of

Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Rights

The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Identifier

785

Location

Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Transcription

(Page 1)

Feby 14^th
My Dear Friend
I recieved [sic] your
kind letter yesterday if
silence is expressive of ones
deep feeling then in this
way I must ask you to
recieve [sic] the emotions of
what my heart ^and pen^ cannot
express hoping the time
is not far distant when
we may see each other
but I must tell you
what I am trying to
accomplish having seen
the notice in the paper
of Mrs Stowe [sic] intention
to visit England I felt
there would not be

(Page 2)

much hope of coming
before her for some
time and I thought if
I could get her to take
Louisa with her she
might get interested
enough if she could
do nothing herself she
might help Louisa to
do something besides I
thought Louisa would
be a very good represen
tative of a Southern
Slave she has improv
ed much in her studies
and I think that she
has energy enough to
do something for the
cause she only needs to

(Page 3)

to be put in the field
I told my Ideas to Mrs
Willis she thought they
were good and offered
to write Mrs Stowe
she wrote last Tuesday
asking her protection
and if she would place
her in some Antislavery [sic]
family unless her services
could be useful to her
which I would perfer [sic]
myself intending to pay
her expenses there the
letter was directed as
yours when it is answer
ed you shall know
dear Amy since I haveno [sic]
fear of my name coming

(Page 4)

before those whom I have
lived in dread of I can nott [sic]
be happy without trying
to be useful in some way
I had a kind note from
dear Sarah saying that
she would be in New york [sic]
on the 20^th and wished to
know our street and number
I am going down to see
her and Mrs Bush and
if Mrs B do [sic] not sail on
the 20^th will you drop
me a line to let me know
I send an answer to Sarah
to day [sic] also as she will not
be there unless Mrs B
sails I shall be more
than glad to see you all

Annotations

Harriet Brent Jacobs, a former slave and abolitionist, is writing to Amy Post, a close friend and benefactor. Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist and the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Louisa was Jacobs's daughter. Prior to the time she wrote this letter, Jacobs was living and working in the Willis's home. The Willis's had paid for Jacobs's freedom from slavery. The members of the Bush family were activists.

Tags

Enslaved people; Personal

Collection

D.93 Isaac and Amy Post Family Papers

Citation

Jacobs, Harriet Brent, “Jacobs, Harriet Brent. Letter to Amy Kirby Post.,” RBSCP Exhibits, accessed November 23, 2024, https://rbscpexhibits.lib.rochester.edu/items/show/3076.

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