In 1861, Harriet Ann Jacobs published a masterpiece, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.
Cornelia married.
They also had close ties to New Bedford that have not been examined previously.
Both women suffered trauma as children and miraculously survived.
Cornelia Grinnell Willis not only purchased Harriet\'s freedom, but she also developed a bond with Harriet and her daughter, Louisa, that lasted a lifetime.
Her book is the first and only narrative to give voice to a woman who escaped slavery.
In 1861, Harriet Ann Jacobs published a masterpiece, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl