Published in 1831, The History of Mary Prince is the first account of the life of a Black woman to be published in Britain. Mary Prince, born enslaved in Bermuda, dictated her experiences of enslavement across the West Indies to abolitionist supporters in London, producing a document that became a powerful weapon in the campaign to abolish slavery throughout the British Empire.
This memoir is a foundational text of both British imperial history and the broader Atlantic antislavery movement. Its unflinching testimony sheds light on the everyday brutality of slavery and the courage of those who resisted it. Download the free EPUB and read one of the most important primary sources in British history.