Jupiter Hammon (1711-1800)

Paper Summary:

The paper describes the background of Jupiter Hammon, an African-American slave all his life. The paper relates that his work is chiefly concerned with religious matters although he was writing during a time when most blacks in America were not Christians. The paper discusses the controversy surrounding Hammon but notes that he was nonetheless esteemed by eminent African-American figures.

From the Paper:

"Jupiter Hammon is famous for being the first African American poet to be published in the United States. While it was once widely believed that Phillis Wheatly was America's first African American poet, Hammon's first published work pre-dates Wheatley's by many years. His first published poem, a broadside of eighty-eight lines entitled "An Evening's Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries," appeared in the year 1760."

Sample of Sources Used:

• DeWan, George. "A Slave and a Poet." Newsday.com. URL: http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs423a,0,6436799.story. Retrieved on November 15, 2007.
• Hammon, Jupiter. "An Address to the Negroes in the State of New York." URL: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/readex/20400.html. Retrieved on November 15, 2007.
• Herron, Carolivia. Early African American Poetry. NY: Columbia UP, 1993.
• Johnson, Lonnell E. Dilemma of the Dutiful Servant: The Poetry of Jupiter Hammon. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1992.
• ---. Portrait of the Bondslave in the Bible: Slavery an Freedom in the Works of Four Afro-American Poets. Ann Arbor, MI. 1987.

More papers on Jupiter Hammon (1711-1800):

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• Term Paper # 2580 : "1800's Reform Groups"

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