The Fugitive Slave Who Wrote to the President

TL;DR

William Grimes's 1825 narrative, *Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave, Written by Himself*, is the first known fugitive-slave narrative in American history.
The author, Grimes's third great-grandson, discovered a copy of the book addressed to President John Quincy Adams at the Boston Athenaeum.
Grimes, born into slavery in Virginia in 1784, endured multiple enslavers before escaping to the North, where he established a barbering business and family.
He purchased his freedom by 1823, though the exact terms and loss of his home are unknown, and his freedom remained provisional until the final payment.
In 1826, Grimes presented his narrative to President Adams with a note, aiming to contrast the nation's celebratory rhetoric with the harsh realities of slavery.
The narrative's closing passage powerfully critiques American liberty by suggesting the skin of an enslaved person should bind the Constitution.
While it's uncertain if Adams read the book, it was preserved and passed down, suggesting its content held significance.

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