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Chapter 5 - Copyright, Fugitivity, and the Fight for Self-Ownership in Early African American Literature

from Part II - National Transitions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2021

By
Emahunn Raheem Ali Campbell
Edited by
Benjamin Fagan
Benjamin Fagan
Affiliation:
Auburn University, Alabama
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Summary

This chapter explores the interplay between the genre of the slave narrative and Supreme Court cases concerning copyright and fugitivity decided in the 1830s and 1840s. Looking in particular at the 1838 Narrative of James Williams, a work quickly challenged for its veracity, this chapter reveals important connections between literary works and legal decisions.

Keywords

African American literatureearly American literaturenineteenth-century American literatureAfrican American historyearly American historynineteenth-century American historyslave narrativeSupreme CourtlawNarrative of James Williams
Type
Chapter
Information
African American Literature in Transition, 1830–1850 , pp. 115 - 133
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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