The Autobiography of Jane Pittman

Jane Pittman was born sometime before the Civil War. She was a slave from the day she was born. Jane had no parents; her mother died as a result of a beating when Jane was a child, and Jane did not know her father . She lives in the old slave quarters on a plantation outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

One day Jane met a Yankee Soldier name Mr. Brown told Jane that one day she was going to be free, and she would not have to no longer listen to anyone or follow anyone’s rules. Jane’s slave name was Ticey. Mr. Brown told her she should have another name a name for a real person so Mr. Brown gave her the name of his daughter Jane after his daughter.

Jane’s mistress had gotten very upset because the Yankees had given Jane the ideas of freedom one day, and after the Yank...