Lunsford Lane

author

Lunsford Lane

1803–1879

Born into slavery in Raleigh, he turned determination and business skill into freedom for himself and his family. His life story became one of the most compelling Black autobiographies of the antebellum era.

1 Audiobook

The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C. Embracing an account of his early life, the redemption by purchase of himself and family from slavery, and his banishment from the place of his birth for the crime of wearing a colored skin

The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C. Embracing an account of his early life, the redemption by purchase of himself and family from slavery, and his banishment from the place of his birth for the crime of wearing a colored skin

by Lunsford Lane

About the author

Lunsford Lane was born on May 30, 1803, in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was enslaved from birth. Through a series of small businesses, including the sale of tobacco, he earned money to purchase his own freedom in 1835 and later worked to secure freedom for his wife and children as well.

After facing increasing danger and harassment in North Carolina, he left for the North and became an outspoken abolitionist. In 1842 he published The Narrative of Lunsford Lane, Formerly of Raleigh, N.C., a memoir that recounts his early life, his fight to free his family, and the racism that forced him from his home state.

Remembered as an entrepreneur, lecturer, and author, Lane left a record of courage shaped by both practical perseverance and moral clarity. His story remains important for the way it links everyday resourcefulness with a powerful public witness against slavery.