Harriet E. Wilson was born a free person of color in New Hampshire in 1825. Orphaned at a young age, she was bound as an indentured servant until she reached the age of 18. Her subsequent life was defined by a constant struggle for survival. She married twice, but faced ongoing poverty, particularly after becoming a widow. Unable to support her only son, George, she was forced to place him in a poorhouse, where he tragically died at the age of seven.
In her efforts to earn a living, Wilson wrote her sole novel, Our Nig, or Sketches from the Life of a Free Black. Published anonymously in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1859, the book received little attention at the time. It was not until 1982 that literary scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. rediscovered the text and documented it as the first novel published by an African American in the United States, securing Wilson's place in literary history.
In her later years, Wilson found new avenues of support and community. She became active in the Spiritualist church and worked as a housekeeper in a boarding house. She also joined the public lecture circuit, receiving payment for delivering lectures about her life and experiences. Wilson passed away in 1900, long before her groundbreaking contribution to American literature was widely recognized.
