With the exception of the last four chapters, this work was written before the breaking out of the recent rebellion. Although romantic in many of its details, it is, nevertheless, a truthful description of scenes which occurred in the places which are given.

Both Clotelle and Jerome are real personages. Many of the incidents were witnessed by the author.

William Wells Brown was a prominent African-American abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian in the United States.