Primary sources for history & literature
Slave narratives for high school
The slave narrative is one of the most important first-person genres in the English language — and the most powerful way for students to study slavery and abolition is in the words of those who lived it. These accounts are free to read in the public domain, offered here as clean editions with background and discussion questions on every page.
- 1
1789 · Britain & the Atlantic · Grades 9–12
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Written by Himself
Olaudah Equiano · 1789
The foundational slave narrative — taught in nearly every survey of the genre, and the model for Frederick Douglass after it. A firsthand account of capture, the Middle Passage, bought freedom, and the case for abolition.
- 2
1831 · West Indies & England · Grades 8–12
The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, Related by Herself
Mary Prince · 1831
The first account of slavery published by a black woman in Britain. Short and direct, it helped move public opinion toward abolition — a powerful companion to Equiano from a woman's perspective.
- 3
1849 · United States · Grades 9–12
Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee, Written by Herself
Jarena Lee · 1849
A free black woman's spiritual autobiography and her long fight to be allowed to preach — the first authorized female preacher in the AME Church. Pairs faith, race, and gender in early-American history.
- 4
1893 · US, Britain, India, Africa · Grades 9–12
An Autobiography: The Story of the Lord's Dealings with Mrs. Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith · 1893
Born enslaved, Amanda Smith became an international evangelist and founded an orphanage. Her autobiography carries the story past emancipation into a remarkable life of ministry across four continents.
Questions from teachers & homeschool parents
- What is the most important slave narrative for students to read?
- Olaudah Equiano's Interesting Narrative (1789) is widely regarded as the foundational text of the genre and the model for later narratives like Frederick Douglass's. It gives a firsthand account of capture in Africa, the Middle Passage, enslavement, and the path to freedom and abolition.
- Are these slave narratives appropriate for high school?
- Yes — they are standard texts in high-school and college history and literature courses. They describe the cruelty of slavery honestly, so teachers may wish to preview passages; we note a suggested grade band for each.
- Did the authors write these accounts themselves?
- Yes — each is a first-person account by the person who lived it (Mary Prince's was taken down as she related it). They are primary sources, not later biographies, which is exactly why they carry such weight in the classroom.
- Are the texts free to read?
- All are in the public domain; we link a free source for each title. Our clean editions add readable typesetting, and each book's page includes background and discussion questions.
More reading lists
T.S. Baker Books — primary sources in clean editions, free sources linked.