J. D. (Jacob D.) Green

Jacob D. Green was born on August 24, 1813, in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. He was enslaved in youth and later taken to Kentucky, where he endured repeated violence and made several attempts to free himself before finally escaping in 1848.

After reaching freedom, he became an antislavery lecturer and writer. His best-known work, Narrative of the Life of J. D. Green, a Runaway Slave, from Kentucky, was published in 1864 and stands as an important slave narrative, telling his life in his own words.

Some reference works describe him not only as an author but also as a public speaker involved in antislavery campaigning. Details of his later life are less certain, which makes the surviving record of his writing all the more valuable.