|
Elizabeth Josephine Brown (June 12, 1839 – January 16, 1874) was the daughter and biographer of escaped African-American slave William Wells Brown and his first wife Elizabeth Schooner. Josephine's account, ''Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter,'' was published in Boston by R. F. Wallcut in 1856.〔 It was long believed to be the first biography written by an African American woman, but is now known to have been predated by Susan Paul's ''Memoir of James Jackson, the attentive and obedient scholar'' (1835). ''Biography of an American Bondman'' draws heavily on and generally parallels William Wells Brown's own account of his life, ''Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave'' (1847). However, Josephine was forthcoming about details of abuse and mistreatment which Wells Brown's account does not include, and openly addressed the problems of mulatto slaves. She also expands the account to include Brown's life in Europe. ==Early life== Josephine's father, William Wells Brown, was one of seven children born in slavery to Elizabeth, a slave of Dr. John Young near Lexington, Kentucky. Born in 1814, William was acknowledged as the son of George W. Higgins, a relative of Brown's owner.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://williamwellsbrown.org/chronology/ )〕 In 1834, Brown escaped to the north and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. There he married his first wife Elizabeth Schooner of Scipio Center, Seneca County, Ohio (now the town of Republic, Ohio) who was of mixed African-American and Native American ancestry. Two daughters were born to the Browns while they lived in Cleveland. Their first daughter, born in 1835, died while still a baby. Their second daughter, Clarissa, was born in the spring of 1836. That summer, the Browns moved to Buffalo, New York.〔 Although it has been long assumed that Elizabeth Josephine Brown, their third daughter, was born in Buffalo in 1839,〔 on two occasions, Josephine (who went by her middle name) stated that she was born in the city of Detroit, Michigan.〔1850 Federal Census for the city of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts; Marriage Certificate of George S. Dogans and Josephine Brown, Certificate no. 5577 for New York County, dated June 21, 1870, Municipal Archives of the City of New York, 31 Chambers Street, Room 103, New York City 10007〕 The Brown family were definitely back in Buffalo in time for the 1840 Federal Census.〔1840 Federal Census, First Ward of the City of Buffalo, Erie County, New York, 16〕 Another daughter, Henrietta Helen, was born in 1842 and died in 1844.〔 In 1845, the Browns moved to Farmington, New York.〔 Wells Brown and his Elizabeth Schooner separated in 1847. He retained custody of his daughters, and moved to Boston. While he traveled as an abolitionist and lecturer, Clarissa and Josephine attended boarding school, living at 21 Seventh Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts. There they were pupils of well-known abolitionist, Nathan Johnson.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.nbhistoricalsociety.org/williamwellsbrown.html )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Josephine Brown」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|