Clotel, or, The President’s Daughter
William Wells Brown
Year
1853
181
1022
808
583
342
386
1525
613
524
176
757
356
592
655
385
335
539
292
797
1518
506
788
1259
701
554
627
974
384
1096
Description
"Clotel; or, The President's Daughter" is a groundbreaking novel by William Wells Brown, published in 1853. As the first novel written by an African American, it blends historical facts with fiction to tell the story of Clotel, a mixed-race slave woman claimed to be the daughter of Thomas Jefferson. The novel follows Clotel and her sisters as they navigate the treacherous waters of slavery, racism, and sexism in antebellum America. Through a series of interconnected narratives, Brown exposes the hypocrisy of American democracy, the cruelties of the slave system, and the complex racial dynamics of 19th-century society. This powerful work not only serves as a scathing indictment of slavery but also explores themes of identity, family, and the quest for freedom. Brown's innovative storytelling techniques, including the use of authentic slave narratives and newspaper clippings, lend a documentary-like quality to this fictional work, making it a crucial text in African American literature and a searing critique of America's founding ideals.