When someone reflects on the hardships of slavery, they typically think only of the treatment of African Americans. What most people aren't aware of is how women were treated, whether they were black or not. In Harriet Jacobs' book, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, she explains: “Slavery is terrible for men; but it is much more terrible for women. In addition to the burden common to all, they have wrongs, sufferings and mortifications peculiarly their own. The cruel treatment of slaves and the struggles of Southern women during the Civil War are ignored by most people today, even though they represent a significant part of American history and still affect society. Slave owners often raped and impregnated their female slaves, and then never let the women care for their mixed children. Actions like this contribute to prostitution today, but people still do not consider prostitution a form of slavery. These truths are tangible today thanks to African-American authors Susie King Taylor and Kate Stone. Luckily, white women abolitionists like Ida B. Wells and Mary Chesnut were around to defend slaves and women. Although life was incredibly tragic for most black women, there are some who were fortunate enough to receive an education, gain freedom, or be born free black. Unfortunately, those people are the only African Americans who had the ability to record their lives through writing, because others were unable to do so due to their illiteracy. The story of Susie King Taylor is a perfect example of this. In her book, A Black Woman's Civil War Memoirs, she chronicles her life born into slavery and eventually gaining freedom. She was born in 1848 on an island off the coast...middle of the paper...where only a few people know about the treatment of enslaved women. White women's responsibilities are also overlooked, as most people believe they have had it easy. People forget that women lacked civil rights in the same way as slaves. It was extremely dangerous for abolitionists, especially women, to help slaves read, write, and become free. Women still fight for equal rights and Black people still face racism on a daily basis. Some say that slavery of women still exists, but it is called prostitution. To this day, women are considered sex slaves, maids and cooks. Human trafficking is still a major problem and generally involves women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, known for her contribution to women's suffrage in the 19th century, left the world with some words of wisdom: “The prolonged slavery of women is the darkest page in human history.”