James Mars | |
|---|---|
 Mars in 1870 | |
| Born | March 3, 1790 Canaan, Connecticut, US |
| Died | May 27, 1880 (aged 90) Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, US |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Autobiography, slave narrative |
| Notable works | A Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut |
James Mars (March 3, 1790 – May 27, 1880)[1] was an American slave narrative author and political activist. Born into slavery in Canaan, Connecticut, he gained his freedom in 1811. In 1864, he published his memoir A Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut, Written by Himself—a notable example of the slave narrative genre.[2][3] His grave is a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail.[4] In 2021, Governor Ned Lamont declared May 1 to be James Mars Day in Connecticut.[5]
- ^ Hinks, Peter (2006), "Mars, James", African American Studies Center, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.44876, ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1
- ^ White, David O. (2004). "The Real Life of James Mars". Connecticut History Review. 43 (1): 28–46. doi:10.2307/44369902. ISSN 0884-7177. JSTOR 44369902. S2CID 254480229.
- ^ Bontemps, Arna, ed. (1971). Five Black Lives: The Autobiographies of Venture Smith, James Mars, William Grimes, the Rev. G.W. Offley, [and] James L. Smith. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-4036-2. OCLC 159550.
- ^ "List of Sites - James Mars Gravesite". Connecticut Freedom Trail. Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
- ^ "Salisbury will honor former enslaved man James Mars". The Register Citizen. 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2022-02-01.[permanent dead link]