The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I., With Personal Recollections of Incidents in Rhode Island: A Diary of a Free Black Man

by William J. Brown, Joanne Pope Melish (Introduction), Rosalind C. Wiggins (Foreword)

The son and grandson of slaves owned by abolitionist Moses Brown, William J. Brown was a free African American born in Providence, in 1814. Brown published his captivating autobiography, The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I., in 1883. His compelling and insightful story is a memorable portrait of life and society in nineteenth-century New England: his childhood, his unusually good educational opportunities, employment, contemporary race relations, the port's bustling seafaring life, temperance, religion, organized societies, and local and national politics. He wrote of prominent African American contemporaries, including Frederick Douglass and Henry Bibb, and of African American troops in the Civil War. This is an impressively rich text, remarkable for its time and place. Unlike official records and other types of primary sources - frequently written from the opaque, self-interested perspective of upper-middle-class white Americans - this extraordinary memoir provides an authentic window on black experiences in nineteenth-century New England. Expertly framed by Rosalind C. Joanne Pope Melish, The Life of William J. Brown of Providence, R.I. will spellbind readers interested in African American and New England literature, history, and culture.

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1883

About the author

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Reviews

[Sarah Morenon]

Amazing to read the story of a man who walked down Thayer Street in Providence in the 1830s - set out to sea, had grandparents who were slaves. Ancestors were native American and African-American, with inside stories of cultural traditions. Highly recommended.

[Bil]

This book was really interesting for its view into 19th century Providence, and doubly so for the perspective of free black man spanning pre- and post-Civil War decades. That said, it was a bit of a slog to get maybe four pages of thoughts on the Dorr rebellion period, and about three pages on Governor Sprague and the Civil War, and probably forty pages about a property swap between Brown's church and a College Hill neighbor.

Still highly recommended for any PVD folks, I read it online at the Internet Archive.

[Kerin]

Fascinating story of Mr. Brown, who was born in 1814, the son and grandson of slaves owned by abolitionist Moses Brown. So many details about life in Providence at that time. I loved reading about all the places in Providence that are still there!