Narrative of Joanna
Subtitle: an emancipated slave of Surinam : from Stedman's narrative of a five year's expedition against the revolted Negroes of Surinam
Contributors: Child, Lydia Maria, 1802-1880; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Documenting the American South (Project); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library
Edition: Electronic ed.
Publisher: Academic Affairs Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Published: 2001
Place of publication: Chapel Hill, N.C.]
Language: eng
Subjects: Soldiers; Biography; Slaves; Emancipation; Black people; Slavery; Miscegenation
Other titles: Joanna; North American slave narratives.
Work titles: Narrative of a five years' expedition against the revolted Negroes of Surinam
Description: John Gabriel Stedman, of Holland, was a lieutenant-colonel in the Dutch military and served in Surinam (Dutch Guiana) where he married a mulatto slave named Joanna and fathered a son. This compilation of excerpts from Stedman's narrative concern Joanna and their son, and begins with Stedman and Joanna's first meeting while she was a slave, their marriage, early life together, difficulty in securing freedom for Joanna and her son. Stedman praises Joanna's personality and sweet nature, describing instances of her loyalty, concern, and devotion during his absences and illnesses. Through Stedman's efforts, both were eventually freed from slavery, but they remained in Surinam when he returned to Holland. In Stedman's account, Joanna refused to return to Europe with him, and he learned about her death soon after his return. Includes two poems at the end of the work, "A Negro Mother's Appeal," and "The Slave-Dealer."
Notes: Title from electronic title page (viewed September 11, 2003)

This electronic edition is part of the UNC-CH digitization project's database, Documenting the American South.  It is a part of the collection North American slave narratives.

Text transcribed by Apex Data Services, Inc.  Images scanned by Ellen Decker and Natalia Smith. Text encoded by Apex Data Services, Inc., Lee Ann Morawski and Natalia Smith.

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Transcribed from: Narrative of Joanna : an emancipated slave of Surinam. Boston : Published by Isaac Knapp, 1838. 64 p., [5] leaves of plates : ill. ; 16 cm. "From Stedman's Narrative of a five year's expedition against the revolted Negroes of Surinam." Scattered passages joined to form a connected narrative. "This extract is reprinted from that in Mrs. L.M. Child's 'Oasis,' 1834, and contains her introductory and concluding notes, and the same portrait."--Sabin 91076. "A Negro mother's appeal" and "The slave-dealer : from Pringle's African sketches": p. [59]-64. "Standard anti-slavery works, for sale by Isaac Knapp ... [annotated catalog]": p. [1-8] at end. Checklist Amer. imprints, 53093. NUC pre-1956, NS 0882971.

Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities supported the electronic publication of this title.

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