William Wells Brown (ca. 1814–1884) was an African American writer, reformer, and abolitionist. Born a slave in Kentucky, Brown escaped slavery in 1834 after a failed attempt a year earlier. Brown became active in the Underground Railroad and also worked as an anti-slavery lecturer, becoming a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. In 1847, Brown published his Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself. The Narrative met with great success, and Brown spent time traveling through Europe,...