James Mars
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) 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. His grave is a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. In 2021, Governor Ned Lamont declared May 1 to be James Mars Day in Connecticut.