Highlights

Browse through highlights to see types of evidence that can be gathered regarding the publication history of black self-published texts from a sampling of interesting examples.

The Underground Rail Road [prospectus]

Prospectus advertising for subscribers to purchase author's self-published edition of an important history, a year after first commercial publication 

Slavery Days in Old Kentucky. A True Story of a Father Who Sold His Wife and Four Children. By One of the Children.

Price 25 cents printed on the cover, author's address printed at the end in the hopes of reuniting with his family

The Blind African Slave, or Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nick-Named Jeffrey Brace.

Questionable inclusion as unclear whether creator or editor is the publisher, but printer has an interesting story

Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, : an American slave. Written by himself.

Could Frederick Douglass's 1845 Narrative be self-published? This later 1848 edition was published at his own newspaper - the North Star.

The Poetical Works of George M. Horton, the Colored Bard of North-Carolina: to which Is Prefixed the Life of the Author, Written by Himself.

Enslaved man publishes poems by subscription to raise funds for his freedom, but remained enslaved until after Civil War

Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave, Brought Down to the Present Time. Written by Himself

First published in 1825 (perhaps first black man to claim copyright?) for this 1855 reprint author advertise for a complete copy of the original in order to republish

A Narrative of the Life and Labors of the Rev. G. W. Offley, a Colored Man, Local Preacher and Missionary

Printing receipts in AAS manuscript collections reveal previously unknown job printer, cost, number of copies

A Family Redeemed from Bondage; Being Rev. Edmond Kelley, (the Author,) His Wife, and Four Children

Author details his motivation is debt of $865 after redeeming his family from slavery for $3165

Highlights