Harriet Jacobs escaped slavery and went on in later years to write her autobiography. Go to the link below for the original text of this piece, “Fear of Insurrection.” When you have finished reading it, use the back button on your browser and then go to the link to “Harriet Jacobs,” where you will find a bit more information about her. Read Harriet Ann Jacobs’s account of life in the South after Nat Turner’s Rebellion at the link below and then answer the questions: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h1519.html

1. In comparison to their total numbers, very few slaves escaped to freedom in the North. Which of Jacobs’s early life experiences indicated that she would have the courage to take a chance on trying to escape?

2. What part of society made up the mob that “mustered” in Jacobs’s town? What reason does she give for their participation? What does this case illustrate about white society in the slave South?