24 - Three Years In Europe by William Wells Brown

Experience the remarkable journey of William Wells Brown, born into the bonds of slavery in Lexington, Kentucky. With a mother who was enslaved and a father who never acknowledged him, Brown escaped at the age of 20 and forged a path as a steamboatman and conductor for the Underground Railroad in Buffalo, New York. In 1843, he became a prominent lecturer for the Western New York Anti-Slavery Society, standing alongside contemporaries like Frederick Douglass. In 1849, driven by a mission to garner British support for the American anti-slavery movement, Brown set sail for Europe, where he would remain until 1854, when British abolitionists purchased his freedom. After returning to the U.S., he continued his relentless fight for abolition. Throughout his life, Brown authored several influential works, including his autobiography, Clotel, and The Rising Son; or, The Antecedents and Advancement of the Colored Race. Three Years In Europe; Or, Places I Have Seen and People I Have Met is a captivating collection of letters penned to friends, with some destined for publication in The Liberator, the renowned abolitionist journal edited by Douglass. In these letters, Brown shares his vivid impressions of Europe, recounting encounters and experiences that reflect his unique perspective as both a former slave and a free man. (Introduction by James K. White)