Clotel; or, The President's Daughter (AmazonClassics Edition)

Clotel; or, The President’s Daughter is rooted not only in the horrific reality of institutional slavery but also in the historical fact of Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with the enslaved Sally Hemings (here represented by the character Currer). In William Wells Brown’s telling, Currer has two daughters by Jefferson, Clotel and Althesa. Both become Jefferson’s legal property when they are born, and both wind up at auction—along with their mother—when Jefferson dies. The threat of violence and death is everywhere, but after repeated tragedies, Clotel nonetheless embarks on a harrowing journey toward freedom—for herself and for her family.

Drawing on antislavery lectures, newspaper articles, abolitionist verse, and Brown’s own life experiences, this invective against racial prejudice and religious hypocrisy is a foundational, groundbreaking work of historical fiction.

Revised edition: Previously published as Clotel; or, The President's Daughter, this edition of Clotel; or, The President's Daughter (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.