Early African American poets By Femi Lewis, ThoughtCo on 02.24.20 Word Count 807

Phillis Wheatley was the first African American woman to publish a collection of poetry in 1773. She was not the only African American poet to publish during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell pronounced that Paul Laurence Dunbar was "the poet laureate of the Negro race," at the height of his fame as a critically acclaimed poet. Dunbar explored themes such as identity, love, heritage and injustice in his poems, which were all published during the Jim Crow Era.

Dunbar, however, was not the first African American poet. The African American literary canon actually began during colonial America.

Lucy Terry Prince

The earliest known African American to recite a poem was a 16-year-old named Lucy Terry Prince in 1746. Although her poem was not published for another 109 years, more poets followed.

So who were these poets, and how did these poets lay the foundation for the African American literary tradition?

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. When Lucy Terry Prince died in 1821, her obituary said the fluency of her speech "captivated all around her." Throughout Prince's life, she used the power of her voice to retell stories and defend the rights of her family and their property.

In 1746, Prince witnessed two white families attacked by Native Americans. The fight took place in Deerfield, Massachusetts in an area known as "The Bars." The poem that Prince wrote after this event is considered to be the earliest poem by an African American. Titled "Bars Fight," the poem was told orally until it was published in 1855 by Josiah Gilbert Holland in "History of Western Massachusetts."

Born in Africa, Prince was stolen and sold into slavery in Massachusetts to Ebenezer Wells. She was named Lucy Terry. Prince was baptized as an infant during the Great Awakening and at the age of 20, she was considered a Christian.

Ten years after Prince recited "Bars Fight," she married her husband, Abijah Prince. A wealthy and free African American man, he purchased Prince's freedom, and the couple moved to Vermont where they had six children.

Jupiter Hammon

Considered to be one of the founders of African American literature, Jupiter Hammon was a poet who would become the first African American to publish his work in the United States.

Hammon was born enslaved circa 1711. Although never freed, Hammon was taught to read and write. In 1760, Hammon published his first poem, "An Evening's Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries." Throughout Hammons's life, he published several poems and sermons.

Although Hammon never gained freedom, he did believe in the freedom of others. During the Revolutionary War, Hammon was a member of organizations such as the African Society of New York City. In 1787, Hammon even presented "Address to the Negroes of the State of New York." In his speech, Hammon said, "If we should ever get to heaven we shall find nobody to reproach us for being black, or for being slaves." Hammon's address was printed several times by abolitionist groups such as the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.

Phillis Wheatley

When Phillis Wheatley published "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" in 1773, she became the first African American person and one of the first American women to publish a collection of poetry.

Born in the Senegambia region of Africa around 1753, Wheatley was stolen and bought to Boston as a slave when she was 7 or 8 years old. Purchased by the Wheatley family, she was taught to read and write. When the family realized Wheatley's talent as a writer, they encouraged her to write poetry.

Wheatly received the praise of men such as George Washington and fellow African American poet, Jupiter Hammon, her fame spread throughout the American colonies and England.

Phillis was freed from enslavement around the time of her first book's publication. Soon after, she married John Peters. The couple had three children yet all died as infants. And by 1784, Wheatley was also ill and died.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. George Moses Horton

In 1828, George Moses Horton made history: he became the first African American to publish poetry in the South.

Born around the year 1797 on William Horton's plantation in Northampton County, North Carolina, he was moved to a tobacco farm at an early age. Throughout his childhood, Horton was drawn to lyrics and began composing poems.

Horton worked at what is now the University of North Carolina. There, began composing and reciting poems for students, who paid him.

In 1829, Horton published his first collection of poetry, "The Hope of Liberty," with help from Caroline Hentz, a professor's wife. By 1832, Horton learned to write.

In 1845, Horton published his second collection of poetry, "The Poetical Works of George M. Horton, The Colored Bard of North Carolina, To Which is Prefixed the Life of the Author, Written by Himself."

Writing antislavery poetry, Horton gained the admiration of abolitionists-such as William Lloyd Garrison. He remained enslaved until around 1866.

At the age of 68, Horton relocated to Philadelphia where he continued writing.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which answer choice describes two central ideas of the article?

(A) African American poets used their poetic talent to write sermons and speeches for different organizations; some earned fame beyond America and into England for their work.

(B) African American poets were sometimes stolen and sold into slavery in America; some poets were encouraged to write by the families who purchased them when their talents were realized.

(C) African American men and women have been writing poetry since colonial times; their efforts to share their heritage and experiences were what developed the African American literary tradition.

(D) African American men and women often wrote about morals and religion; many of these poets eventually gained freedom from slavery during their lifetimes when their owners died.

2 Read the following summary of the article.

Early African American poets wrote about their lives in the colonial period. Many of these poets were born or sold into slavery and later earned praise and fame from their work. The poems of Lucy Terry Prince and Phillis Wheatley were never published and only told orally, but their poems were more popular among abolitionists than those of Jupiter Hammon and George Moses Horton.

Is this an accurate summary? Why or why not?

(A) Yes; the summary provides an accurate description of the relationships between the poets.

(B) Yes; the summary provides an accurate description of the fame each poet received for their work.

(C) No; the summary gives incorrect information about the poets' experiences during slavery.

(D) No; the summary gives incorrect information about the publication of and response to the poets' work.

3 What is one reason why the author includes information about Paul Lawrence Dunbar?

(A) to provide a perspective from a modern author on the colonial authors described in the article

(B) to describe the effects that having an African American poet laureate had on other poets

(C) to highlight a famous African American poet who was influenced by those who came before him

(D) to contrast the praise for Dunbar with the treatment of the African American poets before him

4 How are the sections organized to help to develop understanding?

(A) After the introduction, the sections are organized as a list of poets in chronological order to show how each poet achieved a "first" in the development of African American poetry.

(B) After the introduction, the sections are organized as a list of poets by category to compare and contrast how the works of the "first" men and women poets were different.

(C) After the introduction, the sections are organized using problem and solution structure to illustrate the different methods used by each poet to become published in America.

(D) After the introduction, the sections are organized using cause and effect structure to demonstrate how their writing contributed to the nation's growing feelings against slavery.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.