Josephine Brown

Elizabeth Josephine Brown (June 12, 1839 – January 16, 1874) was the daughter and biographer of escaped African-American slave William Wells Brown and his first wife Elizabeth Schooner. Josephine's account, ''Biography of an American Bondman, by His Daughter,'' was published in Boston by R. F. Wallcut in 1856. It was long believed to be the first biography written by an African-American woman, but is now known to have been predated by Susan Paul's ''Memoir of James Jackson, the attentive and obedient scholar'' (1835).

''Biography of an American Bondman'' draws heavily on and generally parallels William Wells Brown's own account of his life, ''Narrative of William W. Brown, A Fugitive Slave'' (1847). However, Josephine was forthcoming about details of abuse and mistreatment which Wells Brown's account does not include, and openly addressed the problems of mulatto slaves. She also expands the account to include Brown's life in Europe. Provided by Wikipedia