Clotel

About “Clotel”

William Wells Brown's Clotel or, The President's Daughter is often considered the first novel written by an African-American. At the time of its publication, Brown was still legally enslaved, having escaped from slavery in Kentucky. The novel tells the story of President Thomas Jefferson and his mulatto mistress, Currer, who have two daughters, Althesea and Clotel. After their master dies, Currer and Althesea are sold to a cruel slave trader named Dick Walker, leading to a life of hardship and struggle. The novel explores themes of slavery, identity, and the legacy of slavery in America.