In Interesting Account of Thomas Anderson, a Slave, Taken from His Own Lips, dictated to J. P. Clark in 1854, Thomas Anderson tells of his life enslaved in Virginia and his conversion to Christianity. This narrative, along with other slave narratives, offer a composite portrait of authors’ self-styled personal stories. The amanuensis’ interests, lived experiences, and editing choices, as well as their social relations and expectations shaped the relationship and conversation with the authors. Although the narratives aren’t unmediated autobiographies, they are no less authentic and are just as fruitful a source for reconstructing historical experience.
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